Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Tapp Field
Internships are sponsored throughout the year at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
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News
October Meeting
October 14, 2024 7:30pm
Chris Mackowski, Ph.D.
Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is a Copie Hill Civil War Fellow at the American Battlefield Trust and the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War. He is the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series, and author, co-author, or editor of more than twenty-five books. Chris is a professor of journalism and mass communication in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY, and historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia.
Momentous events surrounded Ulysses S. Grant’s life. During the Civil War, Grant earned President Abraham Lincoln’s complete confidence. The general made his fair share of mistakes during the Civil War, but he was a great wartime leader. He learned from his mistakes, listening to and asking questions of his advisors.
Momentous events during a president’s term, and his response thereto, define his legacy. Theodore Roosevelt acknowledged this fact, as he said, “a man has to take advantage of his opportunities; but the opportunities have to come. If there is not the war, you don’t get the great general; if there is not a great occasion you don’t get the great statesman; if Lincoln had lived in times of peace no one would have known his name now.” That the circumstances of a presidency define the president in the eyes of future generations is exemplified by our nation’s collective memory of Ulysses S. Grant.
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Our speaker lineup for 2024 is NOW available HERE
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Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT)
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT) is a nonprofit organization preserving land associated with the Civil War campaigns of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Mine Run, The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. They have preserved nearly 1,700 acres of hallowed local battlegrounds since incorporating in 1996. RVCWRT has raised and donated over $40,000 to support CVBT projects. Our round table is proud to be the 2017 recipient of the CVBT Dr. Michael P. Stevens Preservation Award, whose purpose is "to shine a light on those who have made notable contributions to the preservation of Civil War resources in Virginia." Learn more about this active and important preservation organization at www.cvbt.org.
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Free Dovetail Cultural Resources Presentation, October 17, 2024
On Thursday, October 17th, in conjunction with Fredericksburg’s Dovetail Cultural Resources, a Mead Hunt Company, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation is sponsoring a presentation in the auditorium of the downtown Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline Street, beginning at 7:00PM. This will be free and light refreshments will be provided. Because of pending development on the Hylton tract (area between Route 3 and Cowan Boulevard bordering on I-95), extensive archaeology digs have taken place by the Dovetail company at that site. This land was a hard fought area on May 3 & 4, 1863, in front of Salem Church ridge near the end of the Chancellorsville campaign. The results of this archeological activity provide information for the talk, which will focus on the lives of Civil War soldiers, particularly their experiences here.
Brock's Riverside Grill
Brock’s Riverside Grill, 503 Sophia Street, on the Rappahannock River in historic Old Town Fredericksburg, has been our favorite meeting venue for many years. Brock’s is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch year round. Menu is American “steak and seafood” with a southwestern flair. More information is available at Brocksgrill.com. Call 540-370-1820 for reservations.
LOOKING FOR A BATTLEFIELD TOUR?
Hallowed Ground Tours is run by RVCWRT member Scott Walker, a trained historian who has lived in Fredericksburg for over 50 years. He offers tours not only of area battlefields but also of architecture and history of various designated historic districts within the city. His tours, which also emphasize the changes to and preservation of the local landscape, are tailored to your interests and needs.
Website: HallowedGroundTours.com
E-mail: Tourmaster@HallowedGroundTours.com
Telephone: 540-809-3918
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Battlefield Tours of Virginia, operated by RVCWRT member John Kanaster, came about because of the need to get visitors mobile with a battlefield guide and to achieve a comprehensive private battlefield tour experience. The company has addressed this need by creating a team of knowledgeable and experienced battlefield guides, primarily based out of the Central Virginia area. Many of these battlefield guides are published historians with their own book and are available to speak. Battlefield Tours of Virginia offers tours in and around Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley.
Website: battlefieldtoursofvirginia.com
Email: info@battlefieldtoursofvirginia.com
Telephone : 540-310-8162
Geoff White Music
Geoff White is from Blowing Rock North Carolina. He has played the fiddle all his life, and has performed in pubs, bars, restaurants, concert halls, and battlefields all across the east coast. Geoff was a member of the bluegrass group Sugar Run for several years. He currently lives in Roanoke. He earned a degree in History from Radford University in 2002.
