Williamsburg Civil War Roundtable

Williamsburg Civil War

Roundtable

50th Anniversary Number 1                                   September 22, 2026

MONTHLY ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER
September 22, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Dr Alexander B. Rossino
"Lee's Army in Maryland: A New Perspective
on the Campaign of September 1862" "  

Join us on Tuesday, September 22nd, 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 in a follow-up announcement several days prior to the meeting date.

Join us on Tuesday, September 22nd, for  Dr. Alexander B. Rossino’s presentation of “Lee’s Army in Maryland: A New perspective on the Campaign of September 1862". 

Students of the Civil War tend to think the story of Robert E. Lee’s 1862 Maryland Campaign is complete, and that any new study of the subject must by necessity rely on interpretations long-since accepted and understood. But what if this is not the case? What if the histories previously written about the first major Confederate operation north of the Potomac River missed key sources, proceeded from mistaken readings of the evidence, or were influenced by Lost Cause ideology? Dr. Alexander B. Rossino will demonstrate that distortions like these continue to shape modern understanding of the campaign, and he will offer a new interpretation of the events. Award-winning author and historian.

Alexander B. Rossino holds degrees in History from Canisius College (B.A.) in Buffalo, New York, and Syracuse University (M.A. & Ph.D.) in Syracuse, New York. A resident of historic Charles Town, West Virginia, Dr. Alex Rossino is an independent historian and author. He earned Master’s and Doctoral degrees in History at Syracuse University before working for nine years as a historian at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.  Dr. Rossino also returned to writing history, producing Their Maryland: The Army of Northern Virginia from the Potomac Crossing to Sharpsburg in September 1862 (November 2021) and co-authoring with Gene Thorp The Tale Untwisted: General George B. McClellan, The Maryland Campaign, and the Discovery of Lee’s Lost Orders, which came out in January 2023. His most recent history, Calamity at Frederick: Robert E. Lee, Special Orders No. 191, and Confederate Misfortune on the Road to Antietam (October 2023), completed his in-depth study of the Lost Orders saga from the Confederate perspective.

Last Meeting

On Tuesday, May  26th , Richard Hatcher’s presented “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.

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.  

Rick is the author or co-author of numerous articles and books, including the award-winning Wilson’s Creek: The Second Major Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It (UNC Press, 2001), and Thunder in the Harbor: Fort Sumter and the Civil War (Savas Beatie, 2023).  He is a regular on the Civil War speaking circuit.

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  

• 10/27/2026:  Robert J. Miller:  “The Role of Religion in the Civil War”
• 11/24/2026:  Hampton Newsome:  “The Civil War in North Carolina, January – May 1864”
• 12/15/2026:  Brian Steele Wills:  “A Battle from the Start – The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest"
• 1/26/2027:  Chris Mackowski:  “The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson”
• 2/23/2027:  Erick Bush:  “The CSS Alabama”
• 3/23/2027:  Cheryl Mcauley:  “Thaddeus Lowe and the Union Balloon Corps”
• 4/27/2027:  Michael Moore:  “Hampton’s Cattle Raid”
• 5/25/2027: Dr Jennifer Murray:  “Meade and the Pursuit from Gettysburg”

Upcoming Outside Events

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.