Photo credit: Terry Rensel
Preservation Updates and News
From the President's Desk
In our area busses are once again delivering students back to school, and mornings are just a bit cooler; both good signs that September is just around the corner. The arrival of September also means that the excitement for the 2024 CVBT Annual Conference is also ramping up. Starting on September 12, we will begin the weekend festivities with the “CVBT Generals” invitational tour of Brandy Station. September 13 kicks off three days of events beginning with Paul Sacra's tour, which will explore the Mine Run Campaign's Payne’s Farm battlefield. Paul will be standing in for Ted Savas and sharing special insights about the battlefield that he and Ted discovered together.
Saturday, September 14 begins early with historian Greg Mertz offering a unique "Expanded Tour of Wilderness," showing how the area impacted the 1863-1864 battles. Up next is our Saturday evening dinner and meeting, which will include silent auction items, raffles, and door prizes to boot! Saturday evening's dinner banquet keynote speaker is William "Jack" Davis, who will share about "Civil War Mythology Then and Today." Jack's talk is sure to be extremely interesting and entertaining.
Sunday's brunch on September 15 at historic Stevenson Ridge will feature noted author and historian Stephen Cushman as the keynote speaker. Dr. Cushman will be speaking about his latest book The Generals' Civil War: What Their Memoirs Can Teach Us Today.
Those who have been lucky enough to garner weekend tickets are in for quite a treat. Tickets are almost sold out, although Saturday banquet dinner-only tickets still remain.
I look forward to seeing old friends and making new friends. See you in a few weeks!
Tom
Come join us for a full weekend of great tours and presentations, good food, and camaraderie with fellow history enthusiasts.
As part of this year's Annual Conference events, well-known expert, historian, and author Greg Mertz will take us on an extended tour of the western edge of the Wilderness on Saturday, September 14. This particular area had a significant impact on the planning and execution of several overlapping military operations in 1863 and 1864. The Wilderness itself proved to be as great of a challenge as the armies were to each other.
Only 5 tickets left!
Friends of CVBT Volunteers Needed!
As you know, CVBT is a land trust. We focus primarily on purchasing endangered battlefield properties. However, we also host a large three-day annual conference, standalone events, and we interpret and maintain our lands. We need help in all of these areas.
In the past, CVBT has often relied on individuals from organizations to assist us, and for their help we are extremely grateful. But now we are in the process of recruiting CVBT's own official volunteer corps.
We have created “The Friends of CVBT." The purpose for this all-volunteer group is to be the “on call” corps of CVBT’s volunteers, serving the organization by assisting with events and battlefield related needs. Active volunteer members will have the unique opportunity to be involved with events hosted by nationally acclaimed historians, assist in tours, and work on preserved battlefields. Participating volunteers will also be enrolled in the membership ranks of CVBT every year that they contribute.
CVBT will provide each Friend of CVBT with an official volunteer staff shirt and CVBT cap to wear at events, or wherever wanted. We will be limiting this new group to 18 volunteers.
CVBT is now beginning its 28th year of preserving our local battlefields; the very battlefields that you study and trek across. We would be honored to have you join the ranks of CVBT volunteers and help us further our mission of preserving our nation’s history.
If you are interested in being a part of our volunteer corps, please email executivedirector@cvbt.org.
Beckham Tract Landscape Restoration
CVBT is beginning the preliminary work to remove the modern structures on the Beckham Tract to return the land to its natural appearance. We are currently about 70% of the way toward our $35,000 goal to make this happen. You can learn more at our website.
Slaughter Pen Farm
Photo credit: Terry Rensel. CVBT's Tom Van Winkle, NPS's Frank O'Reilly, and ABT's Tom Gilmore (L to R)
On Friday July 26th, a group of representatives from the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) and the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT) met at Slaughter Pen Farm to celebrate the removal of the last non-historic structure on the property. The National Park Service's Frank O'Reilly was also in attendance, as all involved had the opportunity to take a swing or two with the sledgehammer and help with the demo.
The property is now cleared, and ABT is planning to do additional interpretation of the site in the near future.
CVBT's Tim Talbott Receives the Emory Upton Award for Outstanding Service to Emerging Civil War (ECW)
Photo credit: Melissa Winn
At the Emerging Civil War's (ECW) 2024 Symposium, CVBT's Tim Talbott was presented with the Emory Upton Award for Outstanding Service to ECW by ECW co-founder and President, Chris Mackowski. Tim earned this recognition for his work as the Book Review Editor for ECW.
CVBT Out and About
Photo Credit: Kevin Rousseau
CVBT's Terry Rensel and Tim Talbott were at the Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge on the Spotsylvania battlefield on the weekend of August 2nd through 4th.
While not staffing the CVBT table, they mingled with the attendees, and enjoyed many interesting presentations, including one by former CVBT board member John Hennessy, whose topic was "Overland Whirlwind:" A Reflection on the Overland Campaign, May 1864.
Tim was also one of the speakers at the event. On Saturday afternoon he spoke on the topic “We Fight for Our Rights, Liberty, Justice, and Union:” The Battle of New Market Heights, September 29, 1864.
Historic Quote
“we Charged on them they was in the Railrode dich and we Run them near A half A mile and they Reenforst and we Retreated back to the railroad dich and I can inform you that they Shot at us Some three ours I can inform you that we had six wounded and one kild Miles Drum was Shot in his head above his tempel and lodged against the skin on tother side and I hope to bery him.”
Pvt. Marcus Hefner, 57th North Carolina Infantry (Law's Brigade), excerpt from a letter to his wife Keziah
Photo credit: Terry Rensel
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