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On Saturday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m., Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park will host a program about the military campaigns within the Shenandoah Valley during the last year of the Civil War in what was often referred to as the “breadbasket of the Confederacy” and “back door” to Washington. The presentation will be led by The Rev. Jeffery C. Schroeder, S.T.M., visiting lecturer of Civil War history, who will discuss in detail what happened before, during and after the 1864 burning of the valley.

Schroeder’s academic background includes the B.S., M.A.R., M.Div., and S.T.M. degrees, the last-mentioned from Yale University Divinity School. He pursued additional graduate work at the Universities of Toronto and Oxford. Much of Rev. Schroeder’s avocational interests have been dedicated to the history of the American Civil War.

This family-friendly event is free to the public. Current COVID-19 restrictions shall be strictly observed, and seating will be arranged to accommodate proper social distancing. For questions, contact the Visitor Center at (804) 561-7510, or email sailorscreek@dcr.virginia.gov.

The purpose of Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park is to preserve the cultural landscape as it was in 1865 and to provide the historic setting to tell the story of the last major battle of the Civil War in Virginia before the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army at Appomattox Court House and its impact on the citizens of Southside Virginia.

Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to make reservations in one of the more than 1,800 or 300 climate controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.