Events Calendar

CIVIL WAR STUDY GROUP CALENDAR

2021 SCHEDULE:

Jan 22 – Bob Stone will give a presentation on West Virginia statehood. ON YOUTUBE: CLICK HERE

Feb 26 – The Sand Creek Massacre: A Civil War Atrocity in the West. Speaker John Launius, a NPS Ranger at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, details the forces that led to this massacre. ON YOUTUBE: CLICK HERE

Mar 26 – Jim Lewis, “Consumate Soldier: Charles Russell Lowell, Jr.”: Charles Russell Lowell was born into a life of privilege in the Boston, MA area; however, he took a different path! He rejected his youthful belief in self-culture in favor of a philosophy that found meaning in action. In war, unlike in civilian life, he felt he could see what needed to be done and do it. In the American Civil War Lowell found purpose. Follow Charles’ exploits through the war years as he emerges as one of the Union cavalry’s exceptional battlefield commanders. ON YOUTUBE: CLICK HERE

Apr 23 – Four Years a Target: St. George's bell tower and its intersection of Princess Anne and George Streets as Ground Zero in Fredericksburg's Civil War. Founding CWSG member Craig Rains will present stories surrounding this and three other buildings at this intersection that were witness to unique events every year of the war. A Zoom presentation.

May 21 – Annual Dinner, Clubhouse (NOTE: Because of possible continuing pandemic restrictions, we may need to postpone for later in the year.) Patrick Schroeder, NPS Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. A Civil War author/historian, Patrick will speak about the 146th New York Zouaves, who were engage in the fighting at Saunders Field in May 1864.

Jun 25 – Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station: The Army of the Potomac’s First Post-Gettysburg Offensive, From Kelly’s Ford to the Rapidan, October 21 to November 20, 1863 Historian Jeffrey Hunt will recount Lee's bold strategy to hold the Rappahannock line and lure Meade into a deadly trap, including a stunning triumph at Rappahannock Station. Hunt shatters many of the myths surrounding Rappahannock Station, employing new evidence to reveal how the fight actually unfolded, the real reason for Confederate defeat, how close Lee came to winning, and why Meade failed to exploit his unexpected victory despite gaining, however briefly, the upper hand in his deadly duel with Lee.

Jul 23 – TBD

Aug 27 – Terry Rensel, Executive Director of the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, will speak on CVBT's 25 years as the area's leading historical property preservationist, as well as report on the current campaign to add 36 acres to the Wilderness Battlefield.

RSep 24 – TBD

Oct 22 – Gregg Clemmer, “Why the Civil War Still Lives” (VIA ZOOM): Clemmer compares and contrasts the details and events of the 1860s with those today — everything from clothing styles, poems, and music to speeches, food, and quotes to the famous, infamous, and forgotten. But of more importance, perhaps, what is The War’s enduring legacy? And how do Americans today compare with those from that time in their response to devastating events? Expect the unexpected!

Nov 19 – TBD. (NOTE: Our usual speaker this month is the local middle-school history teacher who receives the CWSG full scholarship to attend the American Battlefield Trust's National Teacher Institute. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 issues, this year's NTI was cancelled.)

December - NO MEETING

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2020 COMPLETED:

Jan 24 – Bob Epp, Bob Lookabill & Bob Johnson discussed Civil War genealogy. Bob Johnson began with a review of available resources, and focus on their use in completing part of his family tree based upon Civil War diary entries of an ancestor. Next Bob Epp talked about the new hospital room exhibit at Ellwood Manor, focusing on research performed on 23 named Confederate soldiers treated at Ellwood. Finally, Bob Lookabill recounted further research on one of those soldiers, which resulted in visits to his home place and interviews with some of his descendants.

Feb 28 – Bob Stone, Notable Women in the Civil War: This talk explored the lives of 14 American women (both North & South) who did notable service in the American Civil War in some field of endeavor not normally associated with women in that era of American life. These women would break barriers in the fields of nursing, medical physicians, spies, combat soldiers, writers and activists. Some are well known and some you may never have heard of before. These, and thousands of other women, lived through an extraordinary period of history, and by their deeds advanced the cause of women in America!

Mar 27 – DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED! We hope to reschedule Ms. Conner at a later date. Jane Conner, Lincoln in Stafford: In 1862 and 1863, Lincoln visited Stafford County, Virginia six different times, for a total of fourteen days. Traveling around the area where our first President George Washington grew up, he observed over 135,000 troops in the Army of the Potomac. Jane’s talk will highlight Lincoln’s visits with commanders, soldiers, and even wounded men in hospitals.

Apr 24 – CANCELLED! Jim Lewis, “Consumate Soldier: Charles Russell Lowell, Jr.”: Charles Russell Lowell was born into a life of privilege in the Boston, MA area; however, he took a different path! He rejected his youthful belief in self-culture in favor of a philosophy that found meaning in action. In war, unlike in civilian life, he felt he could see what needed to be done and do it. In the American Civil War Lowell found purpose. Follow Charles’ exploits through the war years as he emerges as one of the Union cavalry’s exceptional battlefield commanders.

May 22 – CANCELLED! Elizabeth Varon, "Armies of Deliverance"—In her comprehensive history of the American Civil War, Varon, University of Virginia professor of American History, argues that the Union was motivated to fight not only to free the slaves, but also to redeem white Southerners from the tyranny of the planter class and the slaveholding economy. This politics of deliverance helped unify the North and contributed to the Union victory, but it failed to grapple with resistance from white Southerners who rejected the North’s terms and undermined Reconstruction. Interweaving military and social history, Varon offers new perspectives on the attitudes, goals, and frustrations of both sides.

Jun 26 – CANCELLED, TO BE RESCHEDULED - Peter Rainey, “Old Soldiers Do Not Lie, They Become Politicians!”: Gordon’s Flank Attack takes place within a square mile of Orange County and only involved a handful of Generals. Of those, one went on to be a U.S. President, two became U.S, Senators, one a Mayor and one the unelected leader of “The South Will Rise Again.” Pete will contrast what they reported soon after the battle and what they wrote decades later.

Jul 24 – CANCELLED

Aug 28 – CANCELLED DUE TO LOWA COVID 19 RULES. Gregg Clemmer, “Why the Civil War Still Lives”: Clemmer compares and contrasts the details and events of the 1860s with those today — everything from clothing styles, poems, and music to speeches, food, and quotes to the famous, infamous, and forgotten. But of more importance, perhaps, what is The War’s enduring legacy? And how do Americans today compare with those from that time in their response to devastating events? Expect the unexpected!

Sep 25 – CANCELLED DUE TO LOWA COVID 19 RULES. Jane Conner, “Sinner, Saints, and Soldiers”: Jane’s book, “Sinner, Saints, and Soldiers” talks about three women and three men who were in the Fredericksburg area during the Civil War. Her presentation will be about one of those men, General Sickles, and one of the women, Princess Salm-Salm. They were both such interesting people!

Oct. 23 – Annual Dinner, RESCHEDULED TO MAY, 2021. Patrick Schroeder, NPS Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. A Civil War author/historian, Patrick will speak about the 146th New York Zouaves, who were engaged in the fighting at Saunders Field in May 1864.

Nov 20 – ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING. Bob Lookabill & Bob Epp - Ellwood Hospital Exhibit: The idea of a hospital exhibit at Ellwood Manor, highlighting its use as a hospital during and after the Battle of Chancellorsville, was spawned about 10 years ago by Carolyn Jones Elstner and long-time medical reenactor John Pelletier. Open in May of 2020, the exhibit is the result of diligent research, many visits to Civil War medical sites, particularly the Gettysburg Medical Museum at Seminary Ridge and the Medical Museum of the Civil War in Frederick, MD, and funding efforts by the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield. The current team of John Kanaster, Bob Epp and Bob Lookabill have made the concept a reality and will share their research and efforts with you.

Dec – NO MEETING

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2019 COMPLETED:

• January 25 - John Hennessey, NPS. "The Civil War's Legacy and Its Place in Our Modern Culture"

• February 22 -- Dr. John Tole, President of Rappahannock Historical Society, presented "General Joshua Chamberlain: Soul of a Lion"

• Mar 22 -- Robert Stone, LOW resident, will make a presentation on the Confederate Jones/Imboden Raid into Western Virginia: "The River of Fire"

• April 26 -- Frank O’Reilly, Lead Historian, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park: “A Fierce and Deadly Conquest” about how a maverick officer from Mississippi, William Barksdale, ruined the Union plans for battle, setting the stage for Lee’s most resounding victory.

• May 24 -- Jeff McClurken, University of Mary Washington. Dr. McClurken's spoke about his findings presented in his 2009 monograph "Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Virginia's Confederate Veteran Families."

• June 28 -- Bob O'Neill of King George County, who specializes in studying Civil War cavalry engagements, will give a presentation on Jeb Stuart's Christmas Raid of December 1862.

• July 26 -- Jeff Hunt, historian, will give a presentation on “Meade and Lee at Bristoe Station

• August 23 -- Gene Betit, historian, will discuss a topic from his new book: “US Colored Troops’ Decisive Role In The Civil War”

• September 27 -- Luisa Dispenzirie, NPS Museum Curator, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. Luisa will be sharing with us some of the background of how her office handles historic artifacts. Background: Luisa is the NPS contact Joe Rokus worked with on the digitization of the correspondence of Sgt. Jerome Pierce, a project to which many of you contributed considerable talent and time! (She has degrees from University of Mary Washington and George Washington University.)

• October 18 -- ANNUAL DINNER, evening. Speaker Chris Mackowski, historian, will center on the Mine Run Campaign, the subject his latest book "The Great Battle Never Fought: Mine Run."

• November 22 -- Theresa Tempesta, the recipient of our annual scholarship to the American Battlefields Trust Annual Teacher Institute, shared with us her experience and how she has already included what she’s learned into her teaching.

2018:

• January --No meeting

• February 22 - Greg Mertz, NPS. "Barriers to Battle: Fords Along the Rapidan" Greg gave an inside presentation of his annual canoe trip (sans canoe!).

• March 23 -- Rebekah Oakes, NPS. “Belonging to the Ages: Abraham Lincoln in Myth and Memory.” Over the last 150 years we have cast him in copper and bronze, enshrined him in stone, and even occasionally transformed him into a vampire hunter! Rebekah explored how Lincoln’s memory has been interpreted, debated, and used by generations of Americans from his death until the present day.

• April 27 — Zann Nelson's talk was based upon her research for the Montpelier Foundation study “The African American Descendants’ Quest.” She told of enslaved men born in Orange County, the participation of some in the US Colored Troops, and then trace the post Emancipation lives of some of the freedmen who ended up working for the gold mines in the area.

• May 24 -- Jim Carson, retired CIA, presented a talk centered on his new book “Chasing Mosby, Shooting Booth.” The book details the exploits of the 16th New York Volunteer Cavalry.

• June 22 — Captain Ed Gantt spoke about the US Colored Troops in the Battle of the Wilderness.

• July 27 — The "First" Campaign. LOW resident Bob Stone for the past 13 years has taught the Civil War curriculum at Encore Learning of Arlington, VA, an affiliate organization of George Mason University which offers college-level courses to retired adults. His talk covered Gen. George B. McClellan's May 1861 campaign to drive all Confederate troops out of western Virginia and to secure the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad plus the major roads cutting through that part of Virginia. It highlighted some of the "firsts" while describing the major actions of the campaign and the field generalship of George B. McClellan.

• August 24 -- Joe Rokus presented a talk on Sgt. Jerome Peirce. Peirce was in the 36th Massachusetts which saw action in the Western Theater (Vicksburg and other battles) before coming East to be included in Burnside’s 9th Corps. He was killed at Spotsylvania Courthouse. His remains were eventually reinterred at Fredericksburg National Cemetery, where for many years annual delivery of flowers to his grave were a mystery.

• September 27 -- Sharon Grubbs, 6th Grade teacher at Locust Grove Middle School, reported on her experiences and impressions from attending, as our scholarship recipient, the American Battlefield Trust's Teachers Institute in Memphis this July.

• October 26 - Annual Dinner, Dr. Elizabeth Varon, University of Virginia historian, recounted the story of Elizabeth Van Lew who plied her trade as a Union spy in Richmond!

• November 30 -- John Hennessy, National Park Service Historian, presented General Joseph Hooker, commanding general of the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

• December - No meeting

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2017 Meetings Completed:

• February 24 – John Hennessy, NPS Historian, Vile Spirits or War Transformed?, The Looting and Bombardment of Fredericksburg

• March 24 – Eugene D. Betit, PhD, “The Hite Family in the Civil War”

• March 29 - Dinner and speaker event in conjunction with Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, featuring NPS historian Frank O'Reilly: "The Battle of the Wilderness: Bloody Road to Peace with Lee and Grant."

• April 1 - PARK DAY. This annual event helps the National Park Service get the battlefields cleaned up and ready for the thousands of visitors this summer. Coordinated in our area by Friends of Wilderness Battlefield.

• April 28 – Peter Rainey, "An artist, a gold miner and a writer in the Battle of the Wilderness."

• May 26 – Memorial Golf Tournament, LOW GOLF COURSE

• June 23 – Carolyn Elstner, “Burying the Dead", J. Horace Lacy and the founding of the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery Carolyn Elstner grew up at Ellwood Manor as the granddaughter of the second family to own the house. A founding member and moving force in the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield for over 17 years, she is President of the Fredericksburg Ladies Memorial Association.

• July 28 – Author and historian Frank S. Walker Jr. will speak on the Mine Run campaign of the winter of 1863 when Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac rolled through Lake of the Woods to clash with Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia less than five miles west of LOW.

• August 25 – Orange County middle school teacher Rodney Hawkins, recipient of this year's $1,000 scholarship to the Civil War Trust's National Teacher institute, will report on his experiences at the Memphis event.

• September 29 – Our Speaker: Bob Johnson explained his use of GPS technology to identify historic trails. He will also walk us through the use of his Driving Tours (available in this website on the Resources page).

• October 27 – Annual Dinner, Clubhouse, Evening, Our Speaker: John Hennessy, Chief Historian, FSNMP will spoke on "Home Disrupted: A Community Amidst War."

• November 17 – "Still on Parade: Civil War Veterans and a Usable Past in Great Depression-Era America" As Civil War veterans aged and their numbers began to dwindle as the 75th Anniversary of the American Civil War approached, what was their role in commemorating the events of their youth? Our Speaker: Rebekah Oakes, National Park Service Historian, FSNMP.

• December – NO MEETING

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2016 Meetings Completed

Friday, February 26, 19:30 a.m. Orange County historian Frank Walker spoke on “Missing the Mark on Mercy Street: Who was the Real Frank Stringfellow?” and his Walker family's relationship with this actual character from the six-part series "Mercy Street" that ended February 21 on PBS. Some episodes still may be viewed on line at http://www.pbs.org/show/mercy-street/. More than 90 people attended the meeting. (PBS has announced that "Mercy Street" has been picked up for a second season.)

Thursday, March 17, 10:30 A.M. Mike Block, vice president of Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield, spoke on "Culpeper County: a Guided Civil War Tour -- with Commentary from the Participants," using photos, drawings and commentary from the ones who were there.

Saturday, April 2, 8:30 A.M. - Civil War Trust-History Channel Park Day. More than 125 sites in 29 states joined in today to get our national battlefields spruced up for the summer visitors. Thanks to the sponsors Civil War Trust and History Channel and our local coordinators Friends of Wilderness Battlefield and Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield.

Friday, April 22, 10:30 A.M. Author Harold R. Woodward Jr. made a fascinating presentation on the life of James Lawson Kemper. Born in Madison County, Kemper was a Confederate Major General who went on to become the 37th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia following the war. He is buried here in Orange County.

Friday, May 27, 1 P.M. 6th Annual Battle of the Wilderness Memorial Golf Tournament. The reason why the Civil War Study Group has no dues to pay for its many projects is because of the income we derive from our sponsors and players in this annual tournament. We are grateful for their assistance in helping preserve the great history of our part of Virginia and the men and women who were part of it. Jack Phend is tournament director. Player registration ended May 21.

Friday, June 24, 10:30 A.M. Six Things We Bet You Didn't know about the Battle of Trevellian Station, June 11-12, 1864. CWSGI President Craig Rains presented the largest ALL-CAVALRY BATTLE of the entire Civil War that took place just 35 miles south of Lake of the Woods. Lower level, Lake of the Woods Clubhouse.

Friday, July 22, 10:30 A.M. Elizabeth "Beth" Daly, a member of the board of directors of the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center presented "Finding Gems in Virginia's Largest Regional Archives: Central Rappahannock Heritage Center." The Fredericksburg facility staff and volunteers help in the preservation of several hundred thousand historic documents and photographs from the Fredericksburg area. It is a treasure trove for researchers. Lower level, Lake of the Woods Clubhouse.

Friday, August 26, 10:30 AM. Ben Brockenbrough, chief administrator of Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, Inc., presented "A Pretty Good Start: Central Virginia Battlefields Trust at 20," a program on CVBT's marking its 20th anniversary this year. Lower level, Lake of the Woods Clubhouse.

Friday, September 23, 10:30 A.M. "Does the Civil War Really Matter Anymore?" Sharon Grubbs, an area history teacher who was awarded a scholarship by CWSG to attend the Civil War Trust's National Teacher Institute reports back to the group on the event. Lower level, Lake of the Woods Clubhouse (GPS address: 205 Lakeview Pkwy, Locust Grove, VA 22508).

EXTRA EVENT: Saturday, October 15, 9 A.M. - Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield leads a driving tour of the route of General Stonewall Jackson's troops to the 1862 Battle of Cedar Mountain in Culpeper County. Starts at FOCMB contact station. Details at http://friendsofcedarmountain.org/ or call (540) 727-8849.

Friday, October 28, 5:30 P.M., dinner and speaker. Dr. Jeffrey L. Zvengrowski of the University of Virginia will present the strange story of the Confederacy's attempt to get France to join it in the war against the Union. "They Stood Like the 'Old Guard of Napoleon': Jefferson Davis and the pro-Bonaparte Democrats, 1815-1870" at the Civil War Study Group's annual dinner. Lake of the Woods Clubhouse.

November 18, 10:30 A.M. Dr. Pete Rainey, former CWSGI chairman, concluded the year's series of speakers with a special presentation on the carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and its connection to the Mine Run Campaign of November-December, 1863.

December. No meeting.

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