Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park


Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park is a state park in Rice, Virginia,. It includes a portion of the landmarked Sayler's Creek Battlefield, an area of that was the site of the April 6th, 1865 Battle of Sayler's Creek, one of the last major engagements in the Eastern Theater of the war during Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee, during his week-long retreat to the southwest in the final Appomattox campaign from the fallen Confederate capital at Richmond and nearby Petersburg, before his subsequent surrender three days later at Appomattox Court House to pursuing Union Army General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant, on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War.
It is also likely that some of this state historical park established in 1985 by the Commonwealth of Virginia is not included in the four separated parcels that were landmarked.
Besides the historical landmark house, visitors center, exhibits with artifacts/memorabilia, park ranger talks and lectures, walking trails, interpretive plaques, gift shop. etc., the park also includes such amenities as picnic tables and barbecue grills available for use.
The Overton-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 during the year.
The park name appears to be a further misspelling of Saylor, a farmer after whose land and the stream for which the Battle of Sayler's Creek was afterwards later named in 1865. Some official records such as those of the National Historic Landmark program correctly refer to this park as being named the Sayler's Creek Battlefield State Park.

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