APPOMATTOX COUNTY, Va. – Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is commemorating the 160th anniversary of the victory of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, which forced the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Special anniversary programs and activities are taking place April 7-13, 2025.
The weeklong commemoration includes guided walks and talks, living history programs, family activities, firing demonstrations and new trail dedications. The first event of the series began on April 7 at 1 p.m. with presentations about the Battles of Sailor’s Creek and the Battles of Cumberland County.
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The weeklong commemoration also includes:
- April 9: Dedication of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) Approach Trail at 11 a.m. This trail traces the advance of USCT and other Federal units toward the Confederate battle line near the current North Carolina Monument.
- April 10: Dedication of the Coleman House Trail at 2 p.m. This trail marks Federal and Confederate battle lines, taking hikers to the epicenter of the Appomattox Court House Battlefield. Guided tours will follow the dedications.
- April 11: Evening program and concert at Galilee Baptist Church (4248 Old Courthouse Rd, Appomattox, Va.) at 6 p.m. The church was founded in 1867 by freed people of Appomattox County, the first for an African American congregation in the area.
- April 12: First-person presentations by Generals Grant and Lee, small arms and artillery firing demonstrations, horse programs, a re-creation of the Stacking of Arms, and an evening performance by Grammy Award-winning musician Dom Flemons, who will examine the African origins of the banjo and sing songs of celebration and freedom. The evening will conclude with a luminary event to honor the nearly 4,600 enslaved African Americans of Appomattox County.
For the full program schedule, visit the park’s event page at nps.gov/Appomattox160. All programs are subject to change.
