This And That

Virginia Park Preserves Sailor’s Creek Battlefield

By Gould Hagler · Originally published May 2018 · p. 20

The deeds of American soldiers who fought in the Civil War are commemorated at National Battlefields, National Military Parks, National Battlefield Parks, National Monuments, National Historical Parks (all plural), and (one) National Battlefield Site. Federal and Confederate forces met in over 10,000 engagements. There were dozens of major battles and scores of clashes which, if not large in size, were nevertheless of historical significance. As vast as our national government is, it can’t do everything. State governments supplement the work done by the National Park Service and operate parks that preserve Civil War battlefields and help teach the history of the war. Last month we visited the Pickett’s Mill Battlefield Historic Site in Georgia. Now we turn to the Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. On April 6, 1865, about 50 miles west of Petersburg and 10 or so east of Farmville, Lee’s army neared Sailor’s Creek, which flows into the Appomattox

River from the south. In the four days since leaving the trenches at Petersburg, Lee’s men had known no respite. It was imperative for the hungry army to cross the creek, then pass over the High Bridge to the left bank of the Appomattox River. Unless the Confederates could put the river between themselves and the Union army nipping at their heels—and get to the rations waiting for them at Farmville—they would not live to fight another day. The Union army closed in. In the fighting that day—at Hillsman Farm, Marshall Crossroads, and Double Bridges—Lee lost one-third of what was left of his already depleted army, some 8,000 men, most of whom were captured. Equally as severe as the human casualties was the loss of artillery, wagons, and supplies of all kinds. The sad remnants of the Army of Northern Virginia limped wearily on, across the river and to the west, but the slim chance they had for survival was lost at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek. According to park manager Chris Calkins, the Depression year of 1934 witnessed the modest beginnings of Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park. The Virginia General Assembly appropriated $1,500 to purchase ten acres around the Hillsman House, which was used as a hospital during the battle. County governments donated another $1,500 to repair the house. With gifts of land and purchases by the state, the park grew to about 325 acres by the Civil War Centennial. At that time there was little to the park other than the preserved land. There was no visitors’ center, no interpretative markers, and no staff dedicated solely to the battlefield, which was then a satellite unit of a nearby state park.

Big changes would come with the new century. Since 2008, the park has been a stand-alone facility managed by Calkins, who had recently retired from the National Park Service as chief of interpretation at Petersburg National Battlefield. In 2009, a visitors’ center was completed at a cost of $1,120,000. By 2010, land owned by the park and additional land protected by conservation easements totaled nearly 1,000 acres. The park now has a staff of seven, including Calkins. High bridge of the South Side Railroad across the Appomattox In 2013 over 44,000 people by Timothy H. O’Sullivan. (Library of Congress) visited the park, and now, with the sesquicentennial behind us, annual attendance is holding steady at 33,000. The visitors’ center includes outstanding exhibits to help visitors understand the battle and related events. The artifact collection includes many interesting items, such as the homemade dog tag belonging to Pvt. Samuel Eddy of the 37th Massachusetts Infantry. Eddy was one of 54 Union soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for their actions at Sailor’s Creek. (According to Calkins, every Federal soldier “Custer ready for his 3rd charge at Sailors Creek April 1865” by who captured a Confederate flag Alfred R. Waud. (Library of Congress) got the medal.) Among the other exhibits is a huge map on which one can follow the routes taken by Lee’s men—and all the streams they had to cross—as they tried desperately to stay a step ahead of the enemy and reach their ration stockpiles. Four hiking trails with interpretative markers traverse the battlefield. A driving tour—also with interpretative markers, plus six audio stops—takes the visitor on roads along which the armies “The last of Ewell’s Corps April 6” by Alfred R. Waud. marched and fought. The audio

(Library of Congress) stops were created by the Virginia Civil War Trails. The Lee’s kept open by repelling Federal agree. Go to Rice, Va., and take Retreat segment, which goes cavalry attacks the same day as Saylers (sic) Creek Road to Sailor’s (sic) Creek Battlefield. There from Petersburg to Appomattox, the fighting at Sailor’s Creek. Calkins continues to oversee is also a High Bridge Road, but it has a total of 26 stops with audio expansion and improvement of no longer goes all the way to the interpretation. Years ago the Hillsman House the park. The Civil War Trust has bridge used by Lee after the cawas broken into and much of the plans to purchase another 150 tastrophe on April 6. Take Camp furnishings stolen. Calkins over- acres, which will be placed under Paradise Road and hike a ways saw a restoration and refurnish- a conservation easement and sold to the bridge. Stop at the river ing of the house. It appears now to a buyer interested in preserv- if you are afraid of heights. It is as it did at the time of the battle, ing history. It is also important to named High Bridge for a good thanks in part to a description restore the land to its 1865 con- reason, and when I was there it written by Lt. George Peck of the dition. As Calkins put it, “We was windy to boot. 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, who are returning the landscape to Gould Hagler is a retired lobwas shot in the knee at Hillsman the way it was at the time of the battle, planting trees where there byist living in Dunwoody, Ga. He Farm. In addition to the self-guided should be trees and taking them is a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta and tours, there are special programs out where they don’t belong.” The park is supported in its the author Georgia’s Confederate on Veterans Day, Christmastime, and other occasions. The park mission by a volunteer organi- Monuments: In Honor of a Fallalso sponsors staff rides for offi- zation, Friends of Sailor’s Creek en Nation, published by Mercer cers from Fort Lee in Petersburg. Battlefield, and enjoys the sup- University Press in 2014. Hagler Every fortnight in the spring and port of the community at large. speaks frequently on this topic and summer two bus loads arrive, “Local people are very happy to others related to different aspects with about 30 officers per bus. see we are preserving the battle- of the Civil War and has been a One group visits Sailor’s Creek field as it should be done,” said regular contributor to CWN since 2016. He can be reached at gould. and the other goes to nearby High Calkins. Visit the park and you will [email protected]. Bridge, which the Confederates