Williamsburg Civil War Roundtable

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.

Current Newsletter and Archives

Williamsburg Civil War

Roundtable

Volume LVI Number 8                                   April 28, 2026

MONTHLY ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER
April 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Ryan Quint
"Dranesville: A Northern Virginia Town in the Crossfire
of a Forgotten Battle, December 20, 1861 "
 

Join us on Tuesday, April 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 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 Join us on Tuesday, April  28th, for Ryan Quint’s presentation of “Dranesville: A Northern Virginia Town in the Crossfire of a Forgotten Battle, Dec. 20, 1861”.

After the guns of Manassas fell silent, the opposing armies grappled for position wondering what would come next. Popular history has us believe that daily briefings reported something along the lines of “All quiet along the Potomac.” Reality was altogether different. In fact, the fall and early winter of 1861 was a hotbed of activity that culminated in the December combat at Dranesville. The Union victory—sorely needed after the string of defeats at Bull Run, Wilson’s Creek, and Ball’s Bluff—was small when measured against what was to come; it also helped shape the bloody years to follow.

Ryan Quint, a native of Maine, earned his degree in history from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. He has worked in the field of public history, including at the George Washington Foundation, Colonial Williamsburg, and the National Park Service. Ryan has been involved with Emerging Civil War (emergingcivilwar.com) since 2013, and his first book, Determined to Stand and Fight: The Battle of Monocacy, was published by Savas Beatie in 2017 as part of the Emerging Civil War Series.

Last Month
On Tuesday, March 17th Michael Block presented “The Mine Run Campaign”.

On November 26, 1863, MG George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River in an effort to turn the Army of Northern Virginia’s right. Meade’s objective was to force Robert E. Lee’s army out of their fortified positions along the river and potentially open the road to Richmond.
 

Officers 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.

2025-2026 Membership dues are due. Please click on the application form link for the form.

Upcoming Meetings and Speakers  

  • May 27, 2026 - Richard Hatcher: “Fort Sumter: The Key to the Entrance into This Harbor”

Upcoming Outside Events

  • 2026 - Blue and Grey Education Society Tours details
  • August 7-9, 2026 – 12th Annual Emerging Civil War symposium at Stevenson Ridge details

Other Notes:  

Meeting the Challenge: Bill Miller discusses WCWRT video 

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.

To access the newsletter archives, 2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021 /2022 / 2023 / 2024 / 2025 / 2026