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 pool parlor of 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, Francis Wishing presented “First Manassas.”  These meetings formed the foundation for the CWRTF and by the end of March, over 100 charter members had joined.  The purpose of the organization was to study and further stimulate interest in the military history of the Civil War period (1861-1865.)

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 Cronshore, Dr. Edwin Hemphill and Clifford Dowdy.

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 George 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.

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 Dec 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.
• Nov 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.  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.

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.