Nearly a quarter of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army, more than
7,700 men, were killed, wounded or captured on April 6, 1865, at the
battle of Sailor’s Creek. Lee surrendered his army 72 hours later at
Appomattox Court House. The Overton-Hillsman farmhouse, circa 1780, is
open to the public for guided tours. The house was restored to reflect
the 1865 conditions the family and soldiers experienced when the house
served as a Union field hospital. The park’s visitor center houses
exhibits showcasing artifacts and research about the battles of Sailor’s
Creek and the war’s impact on the citizens of Southside Virginia.
Visitors will be taken back that wet spring day when both armies and a
galaxy of generals met at Sailor’s Creek for what was the last major
battle of the American Civil War in Virginia.
