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.
December's Speaker
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
December 19, 2023 at 6:30 PM
Drew Gruber
“John Bell and the Battle at Eltham's Landing"
Please join us on December 19th 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 December 19th, 2023, Drew Gruber will present “John Bell
Hood and the Battle at Eltham’s Landing”
In August 2015, Drew Gruber joined the Civil War Trails organization as
the Executive Director. He was previously employed with the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation and was appointed to the Virginia Board of
Historic Resources by both Governors McDonnell and McAuliffe. He credits
his grandfather for his interest in history and is fascinated by the
lives and experiences of the common soldiers and citizens who lived
during the Civil War era. Drew currently resides in Williamsburg with
his wife Kate, an accomplished historian in her own right. Drew holds an
M.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University, a B.A. from Mary Washington
College, and was the Lawrence T. Jones III Research Fellow in Texas
Civil War History in 2013.
Last Month
On November 28th Frank O’Reilly presented “William Barksdale and the
Changing Face of War at Fredericksburg”.
William Barksdale and his Mississippi brigade initiated the Battle of
Fredericksburg on December 11, 1862—and changed the face of war for
American soldiers. Barksdale’s Mississippians staged an unprecedented
defense of the town’s riverfront, fighting as individuals to slow
Federal engineers attempting to bridge the Rappahannock River. Their
stand provoked a massive bombardment of a large populous area, the first
American riverine assault under fire, the first beach head established
under fire in American military history, and the first urban combat in
North America. According to Confederate leaders, Barksdale won the
Battle of Fredericksburg—and everything that followed December 11 was a
foregone conclusion. We will look at the innovations used at
Fredericksburg and see how they changed the course of American military
history. Mr. O’Reilly’s latest book, The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter
War on the Rappahannock, received a 2003 nomination for the Pulitzer
Prize in Letters. Released by LSU Press in December, 2002, it has won
the 2002 Capital District (Albany, NY) Book Award; the 2003 James I.
Robertson, Jr. Book Award; the 2004 Daniel Laney Book Award; and the
2004 Richard Barksdale Harwell Book Award.
Mr. O’Reilly received both his BA and MA in American History with a
concentration in Early American Military History and Civil War Studies.
Mr. O’Reilly did his undergraduate work at Washington & Lee University
before joining the National Park Service at the Fredericksburg &
Spotsylvania National Military Park. Mr. O’Reilly worked briefly at
Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and then returned to Fredericksburg
as an historian in 1990. Mr. O’Reilly has been an historian for the
battlefields for 35 of my 36 years of service. Mr. O’Reilly has
written numerous articles on the Civil War and Mexican War for national
and international journals; and introductions to quite a few books. Mr.
O’Reilly released his first book on the Fredericksburg Campaign titled,
Stonewall Jackson at Fredericksburg, in 1993. Mr. O’Reilly have appeared
in quite a few documentaries, on CSPAN, and have lectured extensively on
military history to audiences around the world, from the Pentagon to
numerous conferences with the American Civil War Round Table of the
United Kingdom. Mr. O’Reilly is currently writing a book on the 1862
Battle of Malvern Hill and the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond.
Giving Tuesday Campaign a CWRTC / ABT PARTNERSHIP -
Williamsburg CWRT President Bill Miller created a video message about
our Giving Tuesday campaign.
WATCH VIDEO
Donate Now
Membership Update: As of this month, we are pleased to
advise that we have received dues payments from 95 members. For those
who have not yet made your payment, please be reminded that your
financial support is crucial to maintain the quality of our programming.
New Colonel On General Grant’s Staff” details
Gettysburg Civil War Institute announces summer 2024 conference, June 7-12, 2024 details
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
American Civil War Museum upcoming events view
NAU Center programs 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)