"One of our own batteries played the dickens with us" - Hillsman Farm Battlefield Hike

For nearly thirty minutes, unopposed Union artillery battered Confederate General Richard Ewell’s beleaguered troops just south of Sailor’s Creek. Then Union VI Corps commander General Horatio Wright hurled two divisions forward in a head-on assault. What followed was sudden and ferocious. As if hell itself had opened, the battle collapsed into a desperate struggle for survival, with soldiers locked in brutal hand-to-hand combat. A section of Union artillery was rushed closer to the creek as a precaution should momentum shift. The results were horrific for both sides, but Union forces ultimately secured a decisive victory, capturing several thousand Confederate prisoners.

Join us for a guided hike along the Wheaton Trail, where he will explore key moments in the fighting that occurred here 161 years ago. Participants will hear newly uncovered firsthand accounts, view images never before shared, and retrace the footsteps of the Union VI Corps attack.

This program is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine. Visitors should meet at the Hillsman House fire pit at 1:00 p.m. The program will begin with a brief orientation, followed by the guided hike; please bring camp chairs for the orientation portion. The Wheaton Trail is approximately 0.7 miles in length.

Please be prepared for rapidly changing and unpredictable spring weather. For questions or additional information, contact Joshua Lindamood at Joshua.Lindamood@dcr.virginia.gov.

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