Current Newsletter and Archives
Williamsburg Civil War
Roundtable
Meeting Place:
WILLIAMSBURG
Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre
Volume LIV Number 9 May 28, 2024
MONTHLY MEETING NOTICE
May 28, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Join us on Tuesday, May 28th, for the meeting
of the Williamsburg Civil War Roundtable, commencing
at 6:30 PM in the Williamsburg Regional Library
Theatre. 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 the
meeting date.
On Tuesday, May 28th Patrick A. Schroeder
will present “Forgotten Friday: the April 7, 1865,
Actions in Cumberland County, VA”.
Largely overlooked owing to the events at Sailor’s
Creek on April 6 and at Appomattox on April 9, 1865,
multiple engagements and events occurred in
Cumberland County largely overlooked by historians
and the public. There are four separate battles
resulting in the death, and wounding and capture of
three generals and the final engagement on the
fringe of forcing Lee’s surrender in Cumberland
County. The Gen. Barlow vs. Gen. Gordon fight along
the South Side Rail Road, the repulse of Gen.
Crook’s cavalry near the Coal Pits, and the 1 p.m.
and 4 p.m. battles near Cumberland Church, are all
fascinating and horrific in their own right,
resulting in hundreds of casualties. Also, the first
correspondence delivered between Grant and Lee
occurred in Cumberland County.
Patrick A. Schroeder was born January 1, 1968, at
Fort Belvoir, VA, was raised in Utica, NY, and
attended Stuarts Draft High School in Augusta
County, VA. In the spring of 1990, he graduated Cum
Laude with a B.S. in Historical Park Administration
from Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, WV. He has a
M.A. in Civil War History from Virginia Tech. From
the summer of 1986-1993, Patrick worked as a
seasonal living history interpreter at Appomattox
Court House National Historical Park. In 1993, he
wrote Thirty Myths About Lee’s Surrender, which is
currently in its fifteenth printing. From
1994–1999, he was employed at Red Hill, the Patrick
Henry National Memorial. Patrick has written, edited
and/or contributed to more than twenty-five Civil
War titles including: More Myths About Lee’s
Surrender; The Confederate Cemetery at Appomattox;
Recollections and Reminiscences of Old Appomattox;
Images of America: Appomattox County; A Duryee
Zouave; We Came To Fight: A History of the 5th NY
Veteran Vol. Inf., Duryee’s Zouaves. Patrick resides
in Lynchburg, VA, and has worked as an independent
researcher, author, historian, and tour guide. He
has served as the Historian at Appomattox Court
House National Historical Park since 2002. Schroeder
also serves as the Historian for the
Appomattox-Petersburg Preservation Society.
Last Month
On Tuesday, April 23, Rob Orrison presented
“Twice Baptized: Misconceptions and Unique Stories
From the Manassas Battlefields.
The plains of Manassas saw two major battles of the
American Civil War. As soon as the smoke cleared,
many misconceptions and myths began to take form
about both battles. Hollywood only added to these
myths. This talk will highlight some unique points
of view on both battles and address some of the
misconceptions of the battles (DON’T bring your
picnic baskets!).
Rob received his Bachelor’s Degree in Historic
Preservation at Longwood College and received his
Master’s Degree in Public History from George Mason
University. Currently Rob serves as the Division
Manager for the Prince William County Office of
Historic Preservation. Outside of work Rob serves on
the Board of Directors of Virginia Civil War Trails;
Virginia Association of Museums and the Frontier
Culture Museum. His published works include: A Want
of Vigilance: The Bristoe Station Campaign; The Last
Road North: A Guide to the Gettysburg Campaign
1863; In A Single Blow: The Battles of Lexington and
Concord and the Beginning of the American
Revolution, April 19, 1775; To Hazard All: Guide to
the 1862 Maryland Campaign and most recently All
That Can be Expected: The Battle of Camden, August
16, 1780. He currently lives in Dumfries, Virginia
with his wife Jamie and sons Carter and Grayson.
Offcers of WCWRT
President: Bill Miller
Vice-President: Lee Underwood
Secretary
Treasurer:
The Executive Committee consists of the elected officers, the immediate past president and other members appointed by the incoming president. Those members include Debbie Bedosti, Tom Lamb, and Terri Teopke.
Upcoming Meetings and Speakers
- June, July and August - no meetings
Special Events
- May 18, 2024 - Petersburg Battlefield Foundation begins its Summer tours and other events details
- May 18, 2024 - PBF presents "The Battle of Jones Farm" details
- June 7-12, 2024 - Gettysburg summer civil war conference details
Other Notes:
Support our Book Raffle: This
is an important secondary source of revenue to
support our programming. It’s a wonderful way to
supplement your Civil War library with great books
at bargain basement prices.
Help our effort increase our membership:
The best method of recruitment is by word of mouth.
Help our effort to grow your Roundtable by inviting
your friends and neighbors to accompany you to our
meeting.
Visit the Williamsburg Battlefield
Association
(http://www.williamsburgbattlefieldassociation.org/)
(https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsburgBattlefieldAssociation)
WEBSITE: Be sure to frequently
visit the site for newsletter info, announcements,
future and past speakers, and an up to date calendar
of events in the Civil War world. It’s
available anytime you need the info.
https://www.wcwrt.org/news/2024 Newsletter
archive.pdf.
The purpose of this organization shall be to promote discussion and study of the Civil War and to further stimulate interest in all aspects and phases of the Civil War period.