Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table

Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table Meeting on July 13, 2026

Please join us on Monday, June 13th at Brock's Riverside Grill, our speaker will be Jeff Joyce with the presentation of his topic, “Crossroads of Conflict: Civil War Culpeper and Culpeper National Cemetery" This will be based upon his in-depth and detailed research on this topic.

Presentation Summation
Culpeper has been referred to as the Civil War's "most marched upon, camped upon" county. Local historian Jeff Joyce describes how the Civil War impacted Culpeper County, from major battles like Cedar Mountain and Brandy Station to the 1863-64 winter encampment of the Army of the Potomac. He also discusses the establishment of Culpeper National Cemetery after the war and shares the stories of several Civil War soldiers buried there.

Biography
Jeff Joyce is an Air Force veteran and retired Defense contractor who lives in Manassas. He is a volunteer historian at Culpeper National Cemetery, supporting the Wreaths Across America program. In addition, Jeff is a Docent at the National Air and Space Museum, a volunteer with the Honor Flight Program, a battlefield guide at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park in Prince William County and a member of the living history team at Manassas National Battlefield.
Times will be as before - social time at 6 PM, dinner at 6:45 PM, meeting at 7:30 PM.

We are now able to accommodate non-dinner attendees/spectators.

Please make dinner reservations through John Sapanara via email [email protected] or by phone 540-479-1299. He will contact you with confirmation.

Please reserve a place by the Thursday before the Monday dinner meeting date.

If you wish to be placed on the "permanent reservation" list, please advise John. Members on this list do not need to make reservations every month - their attendance is assumed unless they cancel beforehand.

Member dinner price is $35. This price also applies to non-member attendees who join at the meeting, or to guests invited by members. Non-member dinner price is $40.

IMPORTANT: THE SPEAKER WILL NOT BE IN PERSON AT THE DINNER MEETING; HE WILL PRESENT TO THE GROUP VIA ZOOM.

Civil War Round Table of Fredericksburg Dinner Meeting
Wednesday, June 17

Historian and author Dr. Christopher Grasso will speak VIA ZOOM about his latest book, “Teacher, Preacher, Soldier, Spy: The Civil Wars of John R. Kelso,” the account of an extraordinary nineteenth-century American life.

Dinner is at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, 1119 Hanover Street, Fredericksburg. Doors open at 5:45, buffet dinner at 6:30. The program begins at 7:30; questions to follow. Dinner is $35, check or cash at the door. Please make your reservations no later than noon Monday, June 15, either through our website, ·www.cwrtf.org·, or call, text or email Beth Daly, 540-729-0260, ·[email protected]·.

Register for the CVBT's 2026 Annual Conference at https://cvbt.org/event/2026-cvbt-annual-conference-cvbt-30th-anniversary/

Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table Meeting on June 8, 2026

Please join us this evening on Monday, June 8th at Brock's Riverside Grill, our speaker will be Aaron Siever with the presentation of his topic, “Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic" This will be based upon his in-depth and detailed research on this topic. Please review the Outline of what will be presented.

Presentation Summation:
By the spring of 1862, things were not going well for the Confederacy. Forts Henry and Donelson had been captured in the West. George McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac was on the peninsula in Virginia, a mere 75 miles away from Richmond. Federal forces had established a bridgehead in North Carolina, and the principal rebel army in Virginia had abandoned Manassas Junction, leaving behind more food than the army would ever see again. Things looked grim. The Confederacy needed a diversion and some success.

General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was the answer. In the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Jackson's campaign to mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy was exactly what the Confederacy needed. Jackson would embark on an epic campaign, tying up valuable Federal resources and men. His campaign would also wreak havoc on the Federal government itself. In 48 days, Jackson's men, given the sobriquet of "Jackson's Foot Cavalry," would march nearly 650 miles, fight countless skirmishes, and defeat three Federal armies in 5 major battles. The last two of which were fought on June 8 and June 9 at Cross Keys and Port Republic, respectively. The dual victories were not without fault, and an incident on June 8, the same day as the Battle of Cross Keys, could have changed the course of events. However, the Confederate army was indeed successful, and the Shenandoah Valley was secure for the time being. The success of this campaign, and particularly the exploits in the last two battles, emboldened the Confederates and stunned the Union forces. The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862 was exactly the shot in the arm that the Confederacy needed. The Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic were the final steps in one of the most famous campaigns of the war.

The presentation will cover a brief overview of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, the action occurring on June 6th in Harrisonburg, the setup and Battle of Cross Keys, the narrow escape of “Stonewall” Jackson in the Town of Port Republic, the same day as the Cross Keys Battle, and finally the setup and Battle of Port Republic.

Biography:
Aaron Siever grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Since he was a child he has been interested in the American Civil War.

After graduating from high school in 2003, Aaron went into a law enforcement career that spanned 15 years. During his time in law enforcement, Aaron worked lots of criminal cases but also gave presentations to the community about potential crimes such as frauds and scams. As a general instructor, Aaron was able to teach others not only about law enforcement but community service as well.
In 2004, Aaron started documenting the various Civil War sites he had visited and called this Aaron's Civil War Travels. As he traveled around, Aaron started making short videos of his travels in 2016.

Aaron created his YouTube channel that same year (Aaron's Civil War Travels) and by 2024 Aaron has done over 100 videos at Civil War related sites from Virginia to California.

In 2020, Aaron graduated from Liberty University with bachelor's degrees in History and Criminal Justice. Aaron also received a certificate in the American Civil War and Reconstruction from Columbia University online (Columbia X).

In 2021, Aaron joined the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation where he was responsible for maintaining the Valley's Civil War battlefields, overseeing projects and conducting tours and talks as a Park Ranger.

In 2024, Aaron left the foundation and started Aaron's Civil War Travels LLC.
While Aaron is in the process of writing and does not have any books published as of yet, he will gladly engage with you both before and after the dinner to discuss this interesting topic.

Times will be as before - social time at 6 PM, dinner at 6:45 PM, meeting at 7:30 PM.

We are now able to accommodate non-dinner attendees/spectators.

Please make dinner reservations through John Sapanara via email [email protected] or by phone 540-479-1299. He will contact you with confirmation.

Please reserve a place by the Thursday before the Monday dinner meeting date.

If you wish to be placed on the "permanent reservation" list, please advise John. Members on this list do not need to make reservations every month - their attendance is assumed unless they cancel beforehand.

Member dinner price is $35. This price also applies to non-member attendees who join at the meeting, or to guests invited by members. Non-member dinner price is $40.

Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table Meeting on June 8, 2026

Please join us on Monday, June 8th at Brock's Riverside Grill, our speaker will be Aaron Siever with the presentation of his topic, “Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic" This will be based upon his in-depth and detailed research on this topic. Please review the Outline of what will be presented.

Presentation Summation:
By the spring of 1862, things were not going well for the Confederacy. Forts Henry and Donelson had been captured in the West. George McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac was on the peninsula in Virginia, a mere 75 miles away from Richmond. Federal forces had established a bridgehead in North Carolina, and the principal rebel army in Virginia had abandoned Manassas Junction, leaving behind more food than the army would ever see again. Things looked grim. The Confederacy needed a diversion and some success.

General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was the answer. In the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Jackson's campaign to mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy was exactly what the Confederacy needed. Jackson would embark on an epic campaign, tying up valuable Federal resources and men. His campaign would also wreak havoc on the Federal government itself. In 48 days, Jackson's men, given the sobriquet of "Jackson's Foot Cavalry," would march nearly 650 miles, fight countless skirmishes, and defeat three Federal armies in 5 major battles. The last two of which were fought on June 8 and June 9 at Cross Keys and Port Republic, respectively. The dual victories were not without fault, and an incident on June 8, the same day as the Battle of Cross Keys, could have changed the course of events. However, the Confederate army was indeed successful, and the Shenandoah Valley was secure for the time being. The success of this campaign, and particularly the exploits in the last two battles, emboldened the Confederates and stunned the Union forces. The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862 was exactly the shot in the arm that the Confederacy needed. The Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic were the final steps in one of the most famous campaigns of the war.

The presentation will cover a brief overview of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, the action occurring on June 6th in Harrisonburg, the setup and Battle of Cross Keys, the narrow escape of “Stonewall” Jackson in the Town of Port Republic, the same day as the Cross Keys Battle, and finally the setup and Battle of Port Republic.

Biography:
Aaron Siever grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Since he was a child he has been interested in the American Civil War.

After graduating from high school in 2003, Aaron went into a law enforcement career that spanned 15 years. During his time in law enforcement, Aaron worked lots of criminal cases but also gave presentations to the community about potential crimes such as frauds and scams. As a general instructor, Aaron was able to teach others not only about law enforcement but community service as well.
In 2004, Aaron started documenting the various Civil War sites he had visited and called this Aaron's Civil War Travels. As he traveled around, Aaron started making short videos of his travels in 2016.

Aaron created his YouTube channel that same year (Aaron's Civil War Travels) and by 2024 Aaron has done over 100 videos at Civil War related sites from Virginia to California.

In 2020, Aaron graduated from Liberty University with bachelor's degrees in History and Criminal Justice. Aaron also received a certificate in the American Civil War and Reconstruction from Columbia University online (Columbia X).

In 2021, Aaron joined the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation where he was responsible for maintaining the Valley's Civil War battlefields, overseeing projects and conducting tours and talks as a Park Ranger.

In 2024, Aaron left the foundation and started Aaron's Civil War Travels LLC.
While Aaron is in the process of writing and does not have any books published as of yet, he will gladly engage with you both before and after the dinner to discuss this interesting topic.

Times will be as before - social time at 6 PM, dinner at 6:45 PM, meeting at 7:30 PM.

We are now able to accommodate non-dinner attendees/spectators.

Please make dinner reservations through John Sapanara via email [email protected] or by phone 540-479-1299. He will contact you with confirmation.

Please reserve a place by the Thursday before the Monday dinner meeting date.

If you wish to be placed on the "permanent reservation" list, please advise John. Members on this list do not need to make reservations every month - their attendance is assumed unless they cancel beforehand.

Member dinner price is $35. This price also applies to non-member attendees who join at the meeting, or to guests invited by members. Non-member dinner price is $40.

Please join the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield (FOWB) on Saturday, June 20, as we lead a tour of Payne’s Farm Battlefield, in Locust Grove, Virginia. The tour will begin at 10 AM and will last approximately two hours.

Fought on November 27, 1863, the Battle of Payne’s Farm was the largest action during the Mine Run Campaign and was the last campaign in the eastern theater in 1863. The fight was a meeting engagement as portions of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac marched to reach Locust Grove. The tour will discuss how the armies came in contact and the late afternoon fighting in the woods and fields of the J. Harrison Payne farm.

This month’s tour will be led by FOWB board member and public historian Michael Block. The tour route covers just over a mile, on uneven trail and dirt road. Sturdy walking or hiking shoes are advised. Please bring sunscreen and insect repellant and dress for the weather. There are no public restrooms.

Parking is available on the Payne’s Farm Battlefield, across the street from Zoar Baptist Church, 31334 Zoar Road, Locust Grove. Please do not park in the church parking lot.

A $10.00 donation per person is appreciated but not required.

Introduction

In the aftermath of the Battle of Chancellorsville, Sgt. J. A. H. Foster of the 155th Pennsylvania Infantry wrote home to his wife describing the internal and external pressures that he felt in doing his duty despite the many dangers of battle. Sgt. Foster attempted to assure her that "I am not anxious to get into another battle. I never want to be near one itself. I would just as soon be excused from the whole thing if it could be done. But as for playing out, that is the last thing I would ever think of without I was really sick. It would not do at all if the boys would see me doing that, they would despise me, and justly, too. I scorn a man and hold him in contempt who plays out at the commencement of a battle without he is really sick. You seem to think it would not be wrong to play out, but I must beg leave to differ very materially.” George Cary Eggleston, an artillerist who fought in the Army of Northern Virginia, put it a bit more forcefully in his memoir: “cowardice . . . is the one sin which may not be pardoned either in this world or in the next.”

Courage, the antithesis of cowardice, was one of the most cherished personal virtues for males in mid-nineteenth century America, North or South. Doing one’s duty, essentially testing one’s courage on the field of battle, was a commonly mentioned motivator by those enlisting in the Union or Confederate armies.

Due largely to the particular society and culture in which they lived, honor, and with it one’s reputation, are character traits more often associated in popular memory with Southerners and that manifested in traditions like dueling. However, courage and honor were highly admired and jealously guarded in the Free States, too, they were just usually displayed through less overt public practices than in the South. Soldiers on both sides believed that courage in the face of battlefield dangers would be a key element in winning the conflict.

The battlefields of central Virginia were the scenes of numerous acts of courage and perseverance. Their stories are well told and inspire us still today. However, among such large armies, there were also bound to be soldiers who failed their tests of courage. Whether they were among those who mentally wanted to go forward into battle yet were unable to control their bodies enough to do so, or were perhaps one of the even less willing, who sought almost any excuse to avoid the deadly threats the battlefield presented, not everyone was up for the daunting challenge.

Symptoms such as uncontrollable shaking, incapacitating paralysis, feigning sickness, cowering behind trees despite one’s responsibility to lead by example, leaving the battleline without good reason, and finding convenient opportunities to separate from their units to escape potential harm all happened and sometimes received comment. As historian Earl Hess notes, cowardly acts sometimes occurred without warning: “Men who had endured several battles while playing the role of the good soldier could unexpectedly—to themselves, to their comrades, and to their officers—bolt and run in the next engagement.” Conversely, there were those who had been unable to master their fears in earlier fights but eventually became acclimated enough to the necessary dangers of combat to not falter again. Those who are familiar with the fictional Henry Fleming, the protagonist in Stephen Crane’s classic novel The Red Badge of Courage, have an idea of how battlefield situations could trigger a soldier’s fight or flight instincts.

In this month’s CVBT History Wire we will explore some accounts of cowardice, and allegations of cowardice, that occurred on the battlefields of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Examining these stories helps us better understand the diverse, complex, and challenging combat experiences that Civil War soldiers endured.

Click https://cvbt.org/demoralized-and-unnerved-cowardice-on-central-virginias-battlefields-part-i/ to continue reading the May 2026 CVBT History Wire Post.