As a founding member of the Appomattox-Petersburg Preservation Society, Joshua Lindamood has

devoted much of his life to historical preservation and saving local historical sites that he believes are

hallowed ground. Like his colleagues and fellow board members, Joshua is passionate about saving

history for future generations and delighted to have the opportunity to give a voice to those that can no

longer speak.

Being raised in Southwest Virginia, Joshua had an early interest in the American Civil War. When he was

8 years old, the motion picture “Gettysburg” debuted and inspired his imagination. Hours were spent

watching it while playing with Civil War toy soldiers, memorizing the lines, and then going out into the

forest to pretend he served on General Lee’s staff. Years later, he and his father joined a local

preservation organization and he began to obtain a new understanding and differing perspectives of the

War. Joshua became fascinated with his family’s involvement in the conflict and years were spent paying

tribute and honoring those men on visits to various battlefields up and down the East coast. He is a

proud descendant of Union and Confederate servicemen.

In 2014, Joshua was hired as an Educational Specialist for the American Civil War Museum, and later that

year he started working at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park as a first-person living

historian. Discovering his passion for public education, he honed his skills as a professional interpreter

and battlefield guide.

In 2018, Joshua accepted a position at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park to help revamp the

education and interpretation programs at the park. Immediately feeling drawn to the events that

transpired on that battlefield on April 6, 1865, Joshua dove deeply into research. Soon, he became

engrossed in the strategic and logistical importance of the battle and how it ultimately impacted not just

the Appomattox Campaign, but the trajectory of the remainder of the War.

He quickly realized the story did not end there, and in some aspects were just beginning. His research

connected the historic Overton-Hillsman House as the birthplace for the renowned American educator

and early Civil Rights leader Dr. Robert Russa Moton. These findings will lay the groundwork for a new

Visitor Center exhibit display and help mold the narrative his interpretive team discusses with the visiting public.

He is excited to see what the future holds at the Park with its interpretation.