Shared by Lee Wilcox, Chief Ranger Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, as Guest Blogger.

Virginia State Parks are full of history lessons combined with lovely scenic views that contain activities for those who love outdoor recreation, and this includes Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park. This unique park contains a lot of history, in fact, 80% of the land had Civil War battles on it. But as you will learn below, there is history beyond the battles that is being uncovered today. 

Sailor’s Creek history: the Civil War

Sailor’s Creek is the site of the last major battle of the Civil War in Virginia, occurring on April 6, 1865, just three days before General Lee’s surrender to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. 

The historic Hillsman House, within Sailor’s Creek, was built in the 1750s by Moses Overton. Over the course of the next hundred years, Moses Overton’s great-grandson, James Moses Hillsman, inherited the house just as the Civil War began, thus becoming known as the Hillsman House.  

Hillsman House on Sailor’s Creek Battlefield

Untouched by four years of fighting, the entire Civil War in Virginia came crashing down around the family farmstead during the last days of the conflict. The retreating Confederate army had been slowed by several days of heavy, freezing rain, causing Little Sailor's Creek, located just below the family farm, to flood its banks. When the vanguard of the pursing Federal army caught up, a major battle erupted. 

Sidney King Portrait

The battle ended at nightfall and the rearguard of the Confederate army had been captured and routed. The Hillsman House was converted into a Federal Army Field Hospital treating casualties from both sides of the conflict.

Becoming a state park and the largest research library in Virginia

Sailor’s Creek officially came into existence as state park property in 1937 when a descendant of the Hillsman family donated their home, which was restored in 1937 and refurbished again in 2010, plus ten acres to the Commonwealth. Over the years, the park has grown to just under 400 acres. 

In 2008 Sailor’s Creek Battlefield became an independent park with a brand new Visitor Center housing a museum filled with artifacts from the battle, as well as the largest research library in the state consisting of over 2,500 publications solely devoted to the “Appomattox Campaign.” 

New research discovery: Dr. Moton’s birthplace

In 2021, as park interpreters researched the story of the enslaved peoples who labored for the Overton-Hillsman family, it was discovered that a giant of early 20th-century academia, Dr. Robert Russa Moton, was born on the farm in 1867 to recently emancipated parents, Booker and Emily Brown Moton.

Dr. Robert Russa Moton, Source: Encyclopedia Virginia

Dr. Moton’s modest beginnings began on a small Amelia County farm where he learned to read and write. He worked hard and rose to become head of what is today Hampton University and then succeeded his colleague and friend, Booker T. Washington, as headmaster of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Dr. Moton advised numerous Presidents and national leaders on the promotion and advancement of higher education standards and opportunities for African-Americans.

New museum exhibit in the works

This remarkable discovery adds a new, significant chapter to the ever-evolving story of Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park as it embarks on efforts to create a worthy museum exhibit recognizing the connection to and achievements of Dr. Moton.        

Park guests are encouraged to stop by the Visitor Center to check out the museum exhibits, learn about the battle through self-guided information displays, interact with Education Specialists, hike numerous trails crisscrossing the battlefield landscape, participate in guided tours of the Hillsman House and explore an 11-mile section of the historic “Lee’s Retreat” driving tour that encompasses the park. 

Visit our park webpage to plan your visit.