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.
MONTHLY
MEETING NOTICE
Tuesday,
May 26, 2026,
at 6:30 PM
Richard W. Hatcher, III
"This Fort Is The Key To The Entrance To This Harbor –
Fort Sumter 1829-1948"
Join us on Tuesday, May 26th, 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 programs also will continue to be presented online via a Zoom link for our members and friends near and far. The details for the Zoom link will be provided in a follow-up announcement several days prior to the meeting date.
Join us on Tuesday, May 26th , for Richard Hatcher’s presentation of “This
Fort Is The Key To The Entrance To This Harbor – Fort Sumter 1829-1948”.
The April 12-13, 1861, bombardment of Fort Sumter plunged the nation
into four long years of war and after its surrender on the 14th, most
believe the conflict moved on to battlefields in Virginia, Tennessee,
and other points north and west. However, the fort and Charleston became
the focal point of the war’s longest campaign. From July 10, 1863 to
February 18, 1865, the Union Army and Navy worked to take Charleston,
the birthplace of treason, and Ft. Sumter, the birthplace of rebellion.
The Union artillery fired more than 46,000 solid shot and shell at the
2.5-acre fortification.
After the war the Army Corps of Engineers cleared the rubble and debris
from the pentagonal fort. The original three-tiered fort, standing about
48 ft. above its foundation, walls averaged 25 ft. high.
Modernized in response to the Spanish-American War, Battery Isaac Huger
was built inside the fort’s walls and mounted to 12-in. rifled guns.
Fort Sumter continued to serve in the coastal defenses of Charleston
Harbor through World War II. Closed by the Army in 1947, it was
transferred to the National Park Service in 1948, and was designated
Fort Sumter National Monument. In 2019, it was renamed Fort Sumter Fort
Moultrie National Historical Park .
Richard (Rick) W. Hatcher, III is a native of Richmond, VA, and has a BA
in history from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rick’s lifelong
interest in the Civil War began during the 1961-65 centennial. From 1970
to 1974 he worked during the summers at Richmond National Battlefield
Park, then at Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1975. In 1976, Rick
became a permanent employee in the National Park Service, working at
five historical sites. He retired as Historian at Fort Sumter Fort
Moultrie National Historical Park and Charles Pinckney National Historic
Site in 2015.
Williamsburg Battlefield Association upcoming 2026 events
Meeting the Challenge- Bill Miller discusses WCWRT video
2026 Blue and Grey Education Society Tours
details
Culpeper Battlefields State Park: This is a new State Park, which includes the Cedar Mountain and Brandy Station Battlefields. Our friend Drew Gruber is the Park Ranger who oversees the operations of the new park. details