Sailors Creek Interpretive Concept
VAFP is seeking tax deductible funding to create and implement technology based exhibits in 9 State Park Visitor Centers. As shown under a separate icon on this page, the basic theme of the exhibits will be unique to each park. Sailors Creek is the prototype and will be the first park to make technology based exhibits available to visitors. A fuller description of the interpretive concept to be employed at Sailors Creek is presented below.
On the evening of April 6th 1865, the Black Friday of the Confederacy, Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of northern Virginia lost 7,700 men, including eight generals, in the battle of Sailor's Creek.
This defeat was key to Lee's decision to surrender at Appomattox Court House 72 hours later, thus ending the war in Virginia.
As night began to fall here on, April 6, 1865, the hard fought battles of Little Sailor's Creek and the crossroads near the Marshall farm draw to a close. Federal surgeon work by the little natural light that's still available. They are inside the main doorways trying to save as many of the wounded as possible from both armies. Hospital stewards prepare men for surgery and assist with the gruesome task of amputating limbs, bandaging woulds, and trying to comfort the wounded.
This house, built by Moses Overton in the early 1770's, is occupied by the James Moses Hillsman Family. Hillsman, an former captain in the 44th Virginia Infantry, was captured at Spotsylvania in May, 1864, while commanding a detachment of sharpshooters, and is still a prisoner of war as battle rages across his farm. The wife Lucy Blanton Hillsman and her mother Martha Overton Hillsman, two children and eight servants are forced to reside in the basement warming kitchen during the fight. The home will be used as the Sixth Corps Field Hospital. The family will experience the grim realities of war as the floor in the entry hall becomes soaked with blood and they hear the cries of the wounded and dying above.
The Exhibit
The back lawn of the Hillsman House will be the stage for this exhibit. The objective of this exhibit is to captivate the visitor's attention. This will be accomplished utilizing state of the art storytellers. These storytellers will be produced utilizing the latest in new media technology.
Imagine going back in time and being witness to this scene. The guest will encounter a captured soldier from Lee's army awaiting treatment for a bullet wound. His mood is somber having been witness to the horrors of war. All hope appears to be lost. Many of his friends died and he is pondering the fate of those who would continue to fight.
Contrasting this scene will be a Union commander. He too will tell the stories of the day. While he will talk of victory, he will also recount the brutality of the day. He too is somber but has a markedly different expectation going forward.
These stories will come to life inside a dimensional set. The life sized characters will be rear projected on acrylic cutout glass. Dolby Surround Sound effects will further immerse the guest into the scene. The cry of wounded soldiers, occasional gun shots from the last skirmishes of the day will be heard.
The goals of the exhibit are:
- To foster an awareness of the brutality of the Civil War.
- To foster an awareness of the significance of Sailors Creek Battlefield to the outcome of the war.
- To foster an appreciation for the artifacts presented and preserved at Sailors Creek State Park
- To motivate visitors to explore additional Civil War sites.
Outcomes: Through this immersion experience guests of all ages will have increased knowledge and awareness of the battle at Sailors Creek and its significance to the outcome of the war. Visitors will gain perspective from each side and will develop a greater interest in visiting other Civil War destinations in the area too.
VAFP approved the exhibit concept from Imperial Multimedia and the two organizations are currently working to secure funding. Imperial Multimedia has offered to donate a large portion of the production costs and nearly half of the exhibit cost of $30,000 has already been secured. If you would like to make a tax deductible gift, contribution, grant, etc. using PayPal, click the button below:
