The organization meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month September
through May. Meetings are held in the Williamsburg Regional Library
Theatre located at 515 Scotland St in Williamsburg, VA, unless otherwise
posted. The meetings begin at 6:30 PM. Membership is open to the
general public.
January's Speaker
MONTHLY MEETING NOTICE
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 6:30 PM
Drew Gruber
"The Siege of Yorktown"
Please join us on Tuesday, January 24 for the meeting of the
Williamsburg Civil War Roundtable, commencing at 6:30 PM in the Theater
of the Williamsburg Regional Library. The library is located at 515
Scotland Street in Williamsburg.
The program will also be presented online via a Zoom link for our
members and friends near and far. The details for the Zoom link will be
provided by a follow-up announcement several days prior to meeting date.
On January 24,2023, Drew Gruber will present “The Siege of
Yorktown”
In the early Spring of 1862, the Union Army of the Potomac was
transported from the Nation’s Capital area down the Chesapeake Bay to
the lower Virginia Peninsula bounded by the James and York Rivers. The
Union manpower of approximately 125,000 troops marched up the Peninsula
in early April until confronting an extensive Confederate defensive line
established behind the Warwick River from Mulberry Island (present day
Fort Eustis) across the Peninsula to Yorktown. The initial Confederate
defensive force, numbering approximately 12,000 troops, brought the
Union advance to a halt. As a consequence of overcoming such a
formidable defensive obstacle, the Union high command chose to implement
a siege.
Our speaker, Drew Gruber, will present details relating to the
establishment of the Union siege works around the Yorktown area. In
addition, Drew will offer new perspectives on the campaign, and address
several pervasive myths related to the siege.
Drew Gruber is the Executive Director of Civil War Trails, Inc. His
duties have expanded to the coverage a six-state program of placement of
interpretive Civil War signage. A resident of Williamsburg, Drew has
been a tireless advocate for the preservation of the few remaining Civil
War sites associated with the May 5,1862 Battle of Williamsburg. His
efforts have come to fruition with the recent preservation of
approximately 250 acres of undeveloped property adjacent to the Colonia
Parkway and I-64.
Drew Gruber is the Executive Director of Civil War Trails, Inc. which is
a nonprofit which offers over 1,400 sites for visitors to explore across
six states. He is also the interim Director for the Williamsburg
Battlefield Association and previously sat on the Virginia Board of
Historic Resources. He holds his M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning
from Virginia Commonwealth University, a B.A. in Historic Preservation
from Mary Washington College and was recently certified by Southeast
Tourism Marketing College. He lives in Williamsburg with his wife Kate.
He enjoyed brown spiritus liquors, cold, rainy days, books, and some
peace & quiet.
In addition to Drew Gruber’s program, we’ll welcome a visit from Mike
Movius. Mike is the President of the Civil War Round Table Congress, an
organization tasked with the sustainability and growth of Civil War
Round Tables throughout America and beyond. Mike will share a short
video which outlines the education and networking activities which the
Congress offers to facilitate improvement of local Round Tables.
Michael Block, a member of the WCWRT interviewed about his new book. read
American Battlefield Trust presents "Head-Tilting History: Bushnell’s Turtle, A Revolutionary Submarine" view
Egger Tract in Williamsburg saved view
CWRT Congress News & Events view
American Civil War Museum upcoming events view
NAU Center For Civil War History newsletter
view
Butch Barringer, a member of WCWRT, publishes new biography on Colonel Thomas Taylor Mumford, "Unhonored Service"
Visit the American Battlefield Trust site to view animated Peninsula Campaign map
Visit the Williamsburg Battlefield Association (view
newsletter)
(http://www.williamsburgbattlefieldassociation.org/)
(https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsburgBattlefieldAssociation)