Battlefields Trust created this conference as a thank-you to all our resolute members and supporters back in 1997-98. The event has evolved from a simple under the tent BBQ on newly preserved battlefield land to a three-day conference including several battlefield tours, keynote speakers, a Saturday evening social hour and banquet as well as a Sunday morning breakfast and programs.
September 12th with a special tour for our CVBT “Generals” corps to Brandy Station battlefield. The CVBT “Generals” is a group designation for those members who donate $1,000, or more, above membership dues and land preservation appeals each year. Our tour guide, Chris Army, treated
By Tom Van Winkle – President CVBT
am pleased to report a resounding success for our 2024 CVBT Annual Conference. Tour buses and banquet
halls were bursting at the seams. The Central Virginia
We started this year’s conference activities on Thursday, the group to an in depth program on the battlefield. Early morning fog gave the battlefield an eerie ambiance, not to mention some obscured vision, but it finally dissipated and allowed the group to view some spectacular sights. CVBT donated $770,000 to assist in saving Fleetwood Hill which Battlefields Trust created this conference as a thank-you to all our resolute members and supporters back in 1997-98. The event has evolved from a simple under the tent BBQ on…
Friday, Paul Sacra toured two bus loads of CVBT guests across the Payne’s Farm battlefield, the major fighting in the November 1863 Mine Run campaign. After the Battle of Gettysburg in July, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and his army retreated across the Potomac River into Virginia. In late November, as Thanksgiving approached, Union General Meade attempted to steal a march through the Wilderness of Spotsylvania and strike the right flank of the Confederate Army south of the Rapidan River. Paul and Ted Savas originally discovered and uncovered Payne’ battlefield. Paul informed the tour group of several new discoveries regarding the battle not yet widely known. It was a true hike in every sense but our hardy CVBT members survived the day, mostly.
Saturday another two full buses of CVBT conference attendees were treated to a tour of the Wilderness, the “72 Square Miles of Hell,” and how it impacted several campaigns. The Wilderness itself affected several overlapping conflicts in 1863 and 1864, both in planning and execution. On the western edge of the Wilderness, key sites of the Wilderness, Chancellorsville, and Mine Run Campaigns reside in Orange and Culpeper Counties. Several points in the counties west of Spotsylvania were significant during all three of the campaigns fought in the Wilderness. The Wilderness itself was as great an obstacle as the armies were. Retired NPS Historian Greg Mertz covered extensive territory and visited Mayhurst in Orange County. During the Civil War, General Ambrose Powell Hill, commanding Third Corps of Lee’s Army, was headquartered at the Willis home (now Mayhurst Inn). He commanded over 18,000 men from his tent on the front lawn. The christening of one of Hill’s daughters with her famous godfather Robert E. Lee attending was also described. Another popular stop was the Graffiti House at Brandy Station, that focused on soldier’s inscriptions from the three “Wilderness Campaigns.”
Saturday evening’s CVBT meeting and banquet began with a social hour where our 130 guests mingled and reacquainted with old friends as well as making new ones. This was followed by a superb dinner. CVBT Vice President Eric Powell opened the meeting with remarks regarding our CVBT education program and Community Youth Day activities, which Eric chairs, then passed the podium to President Van Winkle.
Opening remarks were made by CVBT President Tom Van Winkle recognizing the many organizations represented in the audience as well as CVBT Board members and the “Generals” core. Representatives from several like-minded preservation organizations were on hand such as American Battlefield Trust, National Park Service, Civil War Roundtable Congress, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Civil War News, Civil War Roundtable of Fredericksburg, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Civil War Study Group Lake of the Woods and more.
Tom acknowledged the staff and all CVBT volunteers who worked so diligently to make the entire conference happen. The least of which included CVBT Executive Director Terry Rensel, CVBT Chief Administrative Officer Tim Talbott and Volunteer CVBT Events Coordinator Lisa Van Winkle.
Tom commented on the “Holistic” approach to battlefield preservation and its overall effects on history, green spaces, and quality of life. “Today battlefield preservation not only protects our nation’s history but affects our current day quality of life,” stated Tom. “It protects shrinking green spaces and allows those who walk the fields for other than historical reasons to become educated on the battlefield itself.”
The 2024 Dr. Micheal P. Stevens Preservation award was bestowed upon retiring CVBT Board member Paul T. Scott for his lifetime of work on preserving Civil War battlefields in the Fredericksburg area. Paul served in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps as a Lt. in the Medical Platoon of the 27th Infantry Regiment with service in Vietnam earning the Combat Medic’s Badge and Bronze Star with “V” Device. The Dr. Michael P. Stevens award was developed by the CVBT Board of Directors to recognize past president Dr. Mike Stevens’ years of service to the organization and preservation.
The award, and the funds awarded with it, are provided by the Board of Directors, and not the CVBT’s donated funds. A plaque is affixed to the trophy and that trophy remains on display at the CVBT office. A $1,000 monetary award and framed certificate is also conveyed.
We award this to an individual, or group, that continually contributes to Civil War preservation and education in Virginia. At the end of the conference Paul announced he donated the $1,000 check back to CVBT for use in our Battlefield Interpretation project. Paul is a true gentleman and he will be missed by the CVBT Board.
Our key note speaker, well-known author and personality William “Jack” Davis, delighted the audience with a presentation on “Myths and Mythology,” especially as it related to the Civil War. Jack pointed out how actual events, and some not so factual, were embellished through the years, published and republished until they were ingrained in the public’s minds as fact. Jack gave several very entertaining examples including the “Pregnancy by Minié ball” story. Sorry, you will have to look that one up
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yourself. Jack’s lovely wife, Sandra, was in attendance, and we had some fun conversations. Their other family member “Cuddles” stayed back at the hotel as the large dinner was a true temptation.
Sunday opened early at Stevenson Ridge in Spotsylvania for a breakfast buffet and the mornings Keynote speaker. The property is named after Brig. Gen. Thomas Greeley Stevenson who died May 10th during the Battle of Spotsylvania. The land was used as a staging area for attacks against the Mule Shoe and Heth’s Salient. The ridge was occupied by the Union V Corps and extensive earthworks may be viewed on the grounds.
Our keynote speaker was Steven Cushman. Steven is a Professor at the University of Virginia and spoke on his book, The Generals’ Civil War: What Their Memoirs Can Teach Us Today. It was a fascinating review of how and why memoirs, specifically Civil War memoirs, were written and why one of the leading figures in the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee never penned his own. We learned the “Memoir Period” was in fact quite a business with publishers vying for significant Civil War generals to author their stories.
In summary, it was another successful conference with numerous compliments from our attendees. I thank all who attended and, of course, our CVBT staff and volunteers who made it all happen.
Save the dates of September 12–14, 2025, as next year’s conference is already in the planning stage. Our tentative topic, “Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.” Don’t miss it!
PUBLIC ADMISSION
enter both days free of charge.
