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October 9th Regular Meeting
Joshua Lindamood on "Black Thursday: the Battle of Sailor's Creek"

April 6, 1865 (known as "Black Thursday") was one of the most devastating days of the American Civil War. As Robert E. Lee's Confederate army retreated, Grant's Union forces struck along a stretched and vulnerable line, triggering the Battle of Sailor's Creek. Fighting broke out at multiple locations, including near the Hillsman House and along Sailor's Creek, where Confederate units were overwhelmed, cut off, and forced into intense close-quarters combat. The losses were staggering, with thousands killed, wounded, or captured. This program highlights the key decisions of the day and their significance, showing how the fighting at Sailor's Creek led directly to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House just three days later.
Joshua Lindamood is a historian serving at both Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park and Staunton River Battlefield State Park. Throughout his career, he has also held positions with the American Civil War Museum and Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, where he has helped interpret and preserve the history of the Civil War for visitors from around the world.
Joshua is a founding member and co-director of the Appomattox-Petersburg Preservation Society (A.P.P.S.), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the historic battlefields and landmarks of Southside Virginia while promoting public education about the region's vital role during the American Civil War. Through his work in public history, preservation, and education, Joshua is committed to ensuring that the stories of those who experienced the conflict continue to inform and inspire future generations.

For our 2026-2027 program year, we proudly welcome these outstanding speakers:

Sept. 11th: James Marten on "The Sixth Wisconsin and the Long War"
Oct. 9th: Joshua Lindamood on "Black Thursday: the Battle of Sailor's Creek"
Nov. 13th: Bob Miller on "Angels of the Battlefield: Catholic Nuns in the Civil War"
Dec. 11th: Stuart Dempsey on "'So outrageously and so persistently misrepresented': The 11th Corps at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg"
Jan. 8th, 2027: Dan Masters on "Hell By the Half Acre: The Stones River Campaign"
Feb. 12th: Rob Girardi on "Gouverneur K. Warren in the Gettysburg Campaign"
March 12th: Doug Dammann, Nevins-Freeman Address: Tar-Heel and The Yankee: Civil War Veterans Who Played in the First Intercollegiate Football Game on November 6, 1869
April 9th: Dave Powell on "Who Won the Battle of Chickamauga?"
May 14th: Lucas Wilder on "Longstreet's East Tennessee Campaign"
June 11th: Kevin Donovan, topic TBA

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