Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park is a state park near

Rice, Virginia Rice is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. Rice has a U.S. Post Office with the ZIP code 23966. The nearest town to Rice is Farmville, Virginia, Farmvi ...

, located mostly in

Amelia County Amelia County is a county located just southwest of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. Its county seat is Amelia Court House. Ameli ...

with a small portion in Prince Edward County. It includes a portion of the landmarked Sayler's Creek Battlefield, an area of that was the site of the April 6, 1865

Battle of Sayler's Creek The Battle of Sailor's Creek was fought on April 6, 1865, near Farmville, Virginia, as part of the Appomattox Campaign, near the end of the American Civil War. It was the last major engagement between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, c ...

, one of the last major engagements in the Eastern Theater of the war involving

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

General-in-Chief

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

(1807-1870). The battle occurred during his week-long retreat to the southwest in the final Appomattox campaign from the fallen Confederate capital at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and nearby Petersburg, three days before his surrender at

Appomattox Court House Appomattox Court House could refer to: * The village of Appomattox Court House, now the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, in central Virginia (U.S.), where Confederate army commander Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union commander Ulyss ...

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

General-in-Chief

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

(1822-1885), which effectively ended the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

(1861-1865). It is likely that some of this state historical park established in 1985 by the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United Stat ...

is not included in the four separated parcels that were landmarked. Besides the historical Hillsman House, a visitors center including exhibits with artifacts and memorabilia, park ranger talks and lectures, walking trails, and interpretive plaques, the park also offers such amenities as picnic tables and barbecue grills available for use.Sailor's Creek State Park
/ref> The Hillsman House on the site was used as a field hospital during and after the battle, and is open to visitors in the summer and by request. The park also occasionally hosts "living history" events with Civil War soldier and civilian reenactors. The park name appears to be a misspelling of Saylor, a farmer after whose land and the stream for which the

was afterwards later named in 1865. Some official records such as those of the

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

program refer to this park as being named the Sayler's Creek Battlefield State Park.

Gallery

File:147th Anniversary event at Sailors Creek (cj) (8278347623) (2).jpg, A park ranger speaks to reenactors at the park, 2012 File:Hillsman Farm House (9316537293) (2).jpg, Displays in the Overton-Hillsman House File:SC-Visitor Center Exhibits (6145857318).jpg, Exhibits at the visitor center File:Sailors Creek Battlefield Gift Shop (7415213520).jpg, Items for sale in the gift shop File:SC Sailors Creek Bottom Lands (5224079503).jpg, Lands along the Confederate Overlook Trail

References

External links

Sailor's Creek Battlefield State Park web pageOverton-Hillsman House - Wayside Marker
State parks of Virginia Parks in Amelia County, Virginia Museums in Amelia County, Virginia Historic house museums in Virginia American Civil War museums in Virginia Battlefields of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Protected areas established in 1985 1985 establishments in Virginia {{AmericanCivilWar-stub

Gallery

See also

References

External links