2020 annual CONFERENCE 

"FIRST DAYS - A FOCUSED LOOK AT THE FIRST DAY of combat on the fredericksburg, chancellorsville, wilderness, & spotsylvania court house battlefields "

April 24 - 26, 2020

2020 Featured Presenters

OVERVIEW OF EVENTS

NEW HALF DAY TOUR FORMAT! LESS WALKING!

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FRIDAY & SATURDAY TOUR OPTIONS

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Friday Morning Tour Of Fredericksburg First Day Battle

presented by Kris White

8:00AM - 12:00PM

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Join historian and author Kris White as he leads us on a tour of the First Day of battle on the Fredericksburg battlefield. Stops will include Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg City dock, and Caroline street areas as we will follow the path of the Union Army across the Rappahannock and through the downtown area. Kris will make the story of the street fighting come alive. Tour Lunches will be on your own and open for you to choose from the various venues surrounding our base camp at the hotel, many of which are in short walking distance and others a 2 minute drive. An extended lunch time of 90 minutes will be provided between half-day tours. We are arranging discounts for CVBT tour guests at several of these restaurants. Snacks and water will always be available on each tour bus as usual.

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Friday Afternoon Tour of Chancellorsville First Day Battle

presented by Frank O'Reilly

1:30PM - 5:00PM

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Frank O’Reilly will lead this tour of the First Day at Chancellorsville. This tour will include stops at the first day battlefield site on Plank Road and the Lee-Jackson Bivouac Site, one of the last times General Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson would meet. Tour Lunches will be on your own and open for you to choose from the various venues surrounding our base camp at the hotel, many of which are in short walking distance and others a 2 minute drive. An extended lunch time of 90 minutes will be provided between half-day tours. We are arranging discounts for CVBT tour guests at several of these restaurants. Snacks and water will always be available on each tour bus as usual.

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FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 24

Presidents Reception

5:00PM - 8:00PM

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Join CVBT President Tom Van Winkle, CVBT’s Board of Directors, and your fellow preservation Partners for an enjoyable evening including complimentary beer, wine and appetizers. A special suite will be reserved at the hotel. This is a modest sized room, so take advantage of our extended time this year. (Truth be told, we won’t kick you out at 8:00, we simply have too much fun!)

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Saturday Morning Tour First Day at Wilderness Battlefield

presented by Greg Mertz

8:00AM - 12:00PM

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Greg Mertz leads this tour of the action of May 5th on The Wilderness Battlefield. Greg will emphasize how decisions made on the first day of the battle affected the choices available to the respective sides.  Stops will include Saunders Field, Higgerson Farm, Chewning Farm, Widow Tapp Farm and the Brock Road/Plank Road intersection. Tour Lunches will be on your own and open for you to choose from the various venues surrounding our base camp at the hotel, many of which are in short walking distance and others a 2 minute drive. An extended lunch time of 90 minutes will be provided between half-day tours. We are arranging discounts for CVBT tour guests at several of these restaurants. Snacks and water will always be available on each tour bus as usual.

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Saturday Afternoon Tour of First Day at Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield

presented by Chris Mackowski

1:30PM - 5:00PM

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Author and CVBT Board member Chris Mackowski will lead this tour of the First Day’s action of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Stops include Todd’s Tavern and the Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter. Tour Lunches will be on your own and open for you to choose from the various venues surrounding our base camp at the hotel, many of which are in short walking distance and others a 2 minute drive. An extended lunch time of 90 minutes will be provided between half-day tours. We are arranging discounts for CVBT tour guests at several of these restaurants. Snacks and water will always be available on each tour bus as usual.

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SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 25

Reception, Dinner, Meeting & Program

Fredericksburg Ballroom, Main Entrance, Third Floor

Reception 6PM - 6:45PM

Dinner 6:45PM - 7:30PM

Meeting 7:30PM - 8:00PM

Program 8:15PM - 9:30PM

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Mingle with your fellow CVBT Partners, historians, and our Board of Directors during our reception time, then enjoy a delicious dinner. After a short business meeting, we will again offer a fascinating program. This year, well known author and historian, Chris Kolakowski, will be our keynote speaker with his presentation of "Blue & Gray on the Blue & Brown Water: Navy Perspectives on the Civil War."

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26   

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Breakfast at Historic Stevenson Ridge 

9:00AM - 12:00PM

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The last day of our conference wraps up our “First Days.” We’ve toured the battlefields; we’ve heard the stories; we’ve explored the history. Let’s tie it all up. Join historian Chris Mackowski for a final (and fun) wrap-up over a delicious breakfast! This will be an interactive discussion, so audience participation is encouraged                                                                                                                                                             

OUR BILLET

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Fredericksburg Hospitality House Hotel

2801 Plank Road, Fredericksburg

(just inside the Central Park retail center).

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CVBT is holding a block of guest rooms at the Hospitality House which will be available for the rate of $95/night to include breakfast buffet. 

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Hotel Phone: (540) 786-8321 Toll Free: (800) 682-1049