Williamsburg Civil War Roundtable

Williamsburg Civil War

Roundtable

Volume LVI Number 9                                   May 26, 2026

MONTHLY ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER
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.  

 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.

Last Month
On Tuesday, April  28th, Ryan Quint’s presented “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.

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  

• September 22, 2026 - TBA

Upcoming Outside Events

• 2026 - Blue and Grey Education Society Tours details·
• June 6-7, 2026 – Civil War Reenactment at Ft Pocahontas details
• August 7-9, 2026 – 12^th 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.