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2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust
2023 Annual Conference
Join Us for Three Days of Fun, Food, Tours, History and Comradery!
Featured Programs
Moss Neck
Friday the 6th, as part of our weekend tour package, renowned historian Frank O’Reilly will be guiding CVBT attendees to a rare experience at
Moss Neck is privately owned and rarely opened to visitors. Frank will engage us with stories of Christmas at Moss Neck, the Corbin’s, a moving story of young Janie Corbin and her relationship with Stonewall and much more. We will then travel on to several other stops not frequently visited.
Saturday Dinner - Keynote Speaker - Kris White
What if Stonewall Jackson Had Not Been Shot?
It’s the question that every Civil War historian has answered, “what if Jackson hadn’t been shot on the evening of May 2, 1863?” Most buffs immediately conclude that the Confederacy would have won the Battle of Gettysburg or the war altogether. These answers oversimplify what was happening in Lee’s army during the lead-up and the wake of Jackson’s wounding. Join author & historian Kristopher D. White for an irreverent and fast-paced exploration of
this age-old question. He’ll unpack the answers using fact-based research, case studies, and primary documents while taking his best friend and Jackson fanboy Chris Mackowski to task. We’ll also examine more appropriate questions—would Lee have won the battle of Chancellorsville, and would he have kept his army intact after Chancellorsville had Jackson not been wounded? It’s a talk that every Jackson and non-Jackson fan won’t want to miss.
Brunch at Stevenson Ridge. One of the more recent and treasured traditions of the CVBT Conference is brunch at Stevenson Ridge. This beautiful event site sits adjacent to Spotsylvania National Battlefield and has trenches running through the back of the privately-owned property.
Additional Tour Stops & Programs
Chancellorsville battlefield tour with historians Chris Mackowski and Kris White
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First Day battlefield
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McLaw's Wedge
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Bivouac Site
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Jackson Trail East - Flank attack
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Hazel Grove
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Chancellorsville Intersection
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Jackson Wounding Site (Time permitting)
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Sunday Historian Round Table discussion at Brunch (Stevenson Ridge) "Chancellorsville-Prelude to Gettysburg"
Growing List of Historians Presenting
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Frank O'Reilly
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Chris Mackowski PhD.
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Kris White
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John Hennessy
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Robert Lee Hodge
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Sarah Kay Bierle
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Scott Walker
CVBT Annual Conference Refund Policy
Before September 1 - 100% minus a $20 service fee
September 1-15 - 50%
After September 15 - No refunds
Detailed Conference Schedule
Friday -October 6th - 9:00AM - Buses promptly depart from CVBT office
Moss Neck, General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson's winter headquarters after the Fredericksburg battle, winter of 1862-63. Depart to Buckner's Neck, Grace Church and Round Oak Church. Lunch included.
Busses return to CVBT office.
Review at Moss Neck - Mort Kunstler
Friday -October 6th - 5:00 PM to 8:00PM
Join us for a complimentary evening at the Presidents Reception. This year the event will be held at the historic Sentry Box in Fredericksburg overlooking the Rappahannock River and the site of the Middle Pontoon crossing. This a private home with deep historic roots. Complimentary cocktail reception with heavy Hors d’ oeuvres will be served.
Saturday October 7th - 9:00AM - Buses promptly depart from CVBT office
Chancellorsville battlefield tour day. Historians Kris White and Chris MacKowski will lead tours of the following stops. Lunch (box lunch in the field) included
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First Day Battlefield
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McLaws Wedge
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Bivouac Site
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Jackson Trail East - Flank attack
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Hazel Grove
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Chancellorsville Intersection
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Jackson Wounding Site (Time permitting)
Busses return to CVBT office.
Saturday October 7th - CVBT Annual Dinner/Meeting/Keynote Speaker
Belmont, Fredericksburg. Dinner will be buffet style and include a cash bar
6:00 – 6:45 Social Hour (wine and beer cash bar)
6:45 – 7:30 Dinner
7:30 – 8:00 - Annual Meeting / Presentations
8:00- Keynote Speaker - Kris White
Sunday- October 8th - 9:00am -12:00 CVBT Brunch & Historian Round Table - Stevenson Ridge
Program Topic -" Chancellorsville as the Prelude to Gettysburg"
We have a room block reserved at Hampton Inn & Suites Fredericksburg-at Celebrate Virginia for October 5, 2023 through October 8, 2023. Booking your room is simple, just select "Book a Room" to receive your group's preferred rate.
1080 Hospitality Lane,Fredericksburg, VA 22401 - 540-786-5530
Our Conference Historians
Kris White is the deputy director of education at the American Battlefield Trust. White is a graduate of Norwich University with an M.A. in Military History and California University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in History. He served as a ranger-historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park for nearly five years. White is the co-founder and founding chief historian of Emerging Civil War and is also the co-creator of the Engaging the Civil War Series. An award-winning speaker and editor, White has authored, co-authored, or edited nearly two dozen books. He frequently leads tours in the United States and abroad.
Frank O’Reilly - Frank serves as a historian at Fredericksburg and
Spotsylvania National Military Park, is the author of “Stonewall Jackson
at Fredericksburg”, “The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War the
Rappahannock”, as well as numerous other articles on the Civil War
and appearances on C-SPAN. Frank A. O’Reilly received both his BA and MA in American History with a concentration in Early American Military History and Civil War Studies. After graduating from Washington & Lee University in 1987, he joined the National Park Service at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Chris Mackowski, PhD, is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War. He is the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series, and author, co-author, or editor of more than twenty-five books. Chris is a professor of journalism and mass communication in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York, and historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. Chris serves as vice president on the board of directors for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, he serves on the advisory board of the Civil War Roundtable Congress and the Brunswick (NC) Civil War Roundtable—the largest in the country—and is a member of the Antietam Institute.
Forty + years ago, John began his career with the NPS at Manassas Battlefield Park. Ever since, he has proved himself to be a dedicated public historian, specializing in Civil War history. He has written numerous books on the subject, including Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas, and was a contributing author to Mysteries & Conundrums.John is retired Chief Historian/Chief of Interpretation at the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Robert Lee Hodge was born to study the American Civil War. Coming into this world on “Stonewall” Jackson’s 143rd birthday and being named for the South’s most famous general surely couldn’t have been coincidence. Robert kept the war as a passionate hobby throughout his school years which included studying art and history at Kent State. For over 30 years Hodge has turned his passion into a profession. He worked on Civil War productions like ABC’s North and South, TNT’s Gettysburg and Andersonville. Robert’s passion for the subject led him into the depths of The National Archives and Library of Congress, working with nationally-recognized experts like Brian Pohanka, Eric Wittenberg, and Bill Styple. Hodge was a principle researcher on Time-Life Books 18-volume series Voices of the Civil War and The Illustrated History of the Civil War. Robert has appeared on numerous television shows on The History Channel, Arts and Entertainment Channel, and the National Geographic Channel. Hodge’s own behind-the-camera filmwork includes Civil War documentaries that have won 5 Telly awards. He serves on the board of directors of the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust.
Sarah Kay Bierle graduated from Thomas Edison State University with a BA in History, serves as managing editor at Emerging Civil War, and works in the Education Department at American Battlefield Trust. She has spent years exploring ways to share quality historical research in ways that will inform and inspire modern audiences, including school presentations, writing, and speaking engagements. Sarah has published three historical fiction books and her first nonfiction book, Call Out The Cadets: The Battle of New Market, is part of the Emerging Civil War series. She is currently working on a short biography of John Pelham for the Emerging Civil War series and a study of decisions at Chancellorsville for a university press.
