The origin of the Civil War Round Table of Fredericksburg, Inc. (CRWTF) dates to January 1957 when Lemuel Houston, Spencer Berry, Raiford Sumner, and Hotsie Moore gathered in the Princess Anne Hotel.  Discussions had been ongoing about forming a Round Table and the group decided it was time to move forward.  That meeting was followed by an initial gathering on February 25, 1957, when Albert Dillahunty showed the film “Shiloh.”  In the first formal presentation on March 25, 1957, 43 people attended a meeting where Francis Wilshin discussed “First Manassas.”  Another 45 indicated they wanted to attend but were unable.  The charter was finalized at the march meeting with 104 members.  This was the largest charter membership of the previous 31 existing Civil War Round Tables.  The purpose of the CWRTF was to study and further stimulate interest in the military history of the Civil War.

The first officers of the Round Table were Spencer Berry, President; Lester Redgrave, Vice President; Robert Park, Secretary, and Jack Johnson, Treasurer. 

The success of the club grew quickly as evidenced in 1958 when the CWRTF was host to the First National Convention of Civil War Round Tables. This national meeting, held on May 9-10 at the General Washington Hotel and Mary Washington College, had noted speakers such as Dr. James Croushore, Dr. Edwin Hemphill and Clifford Dowdy.

Beginning in 1958, the CWRTF established the Annual Meritorious Award to recognize contributions to Civil War history.  Recipients included:

          Virgil Carrington Jones – Author/publisher

          MG Ulysses S. Grant III – Chairman, Civil War Commission

          Richard Bales – Director, National Gallery of Art & Conductor, Gallery Orchestra

          James Geary – Executive Director, Virginia Civil War Commission

          Robert Waitt – Executive Secretary, Richmond Civil War Centennial

As was the custom at that time for many clubs, no women were members in the early years for the Round Table.  However, a “Ladies’ Night” was conducted once a year, usually in June until 2012, when women were invited as members.  Many Ladies Night programs included women speakers and addressed women issues during the war. 

Over the years, a variety of locations have been used for meetings.  The General Washington Inn provided a stable, economical venue from 1957 to 1979.  The Inn provided the meeting room free of charge and meals were very reasonable.  The Hot Shoppe Restaurant, Kenmore Inn, and the Fredericksburg Square in Downtown Fredericksburg were venues during the 1980s. Until this point, the Round Table met on the fourth Monday of the month but moved to the fourth Wednesday when Fredericksburg Square could not accommodate a Monday meeting.  The Fredericksburg Country Club was next used for meetings and was also used for Ladies Night throughout the years.   Finally, the Jepson Alumni Executive Center of the University of Mary Washington began hosting the meetings in October 2012.

Over the years, members have enjoyed a social hour and dinner before the presentations.  In the early years, Henry “Griff” Griffin could be found carving a huge steamship round.  Currently, the Jepson Center provides a superb catered buffet, complete with a desert table.

In October 2015, Exploratory Committees were established to explore merger with the Rappahannock Valley Round Table (RVRT), organized in 1989.  RVRT invited CWRTF to their December meeting.  A final Exploratory Meeting was conducted on May 31, 2016.  After much discussion, the Committees’ joint recommendation was that the two Round Tables would merge under the name The Fredericksburg Area Civil War Round Table.  It was proposed that meetings would be held at Brock’s Riverside Grill on the second Monday of each month and a new sound system would be procured.  The vote was not unanimous on these recommendations.  After the Exploratory Committee presented their recommendation to the CWRTF Executive Committee, it was decided not to merge.  It was felt that the Jepson Center had not been given due consideration, particularly since they agreed to lower the price per meeting.  The work of the Exploratory Committees wasn’t for naught, as both Round Tables became familiar with each other.

While monthly meetings have been the mainstay of the CWRTF, field trips and staff rides have also been conducted.

• May 26, 1967 – Col Harry Campbell presented on the Battle of Brandy Station.  This was followed by a field trip on Jun 3.
• November 1976 – trip to Lexington and VMI.
• March 1962 – a motorcade of the Shenandoah Valley.
• April 29, 2006 – Conducted a Field Trip on Sheridan’s Raid/Yellow Tavern.  The previous meeting Mark Thompson presented on that topic at the monthly meeting.  About 15 people participated.

Philanthropic activity has always been a key component of CWRTF.  In the early years, an annual history award was presented to the High School student with the best Civil War paper.  Students at James Monroe High School were often recipients.  Working with the Ladies’ Memorial Association, CWRTF has supported the placement of flat stone markers at Confederate Cemetery in Fredericksburg.  Mike Burns and Fred Howe II served as the initial coordinators for the Round Table.  Over the years the names had eroded, but this effort recognizes the sacrifice of the soldiers.   Finally, the CWRTF has provided monetary support for a National Park Service (NPS) Intern during the summer months.  These interns provide a valuable service to the NPS and support allows them to better enjoy their experience in Fredericksburg.

The Civil War Round Table of Fredericksburg annually presents the Heritage Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of teachers, individuals, and organizations for their work in the preservation of local Civil War era buildings, objects, battlefields and history.  Recent recipients include the Ladies Memorial Association, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, John Hennessy, Jane Conner, John Grant Griffiths, and Elizabeth Daly.

Since 1957, the CWRTF was fortunate to have more than 600 guest speakers, covering every historical subject of the Civil War period. We take pride in the fact that we have been in continuous operation for over 67 years.