Battle of Cedar Creek Virginia

Bill Bergen

Bill Bergen

Regular listeners of our podcast or our live streaming feed might know Rick Britton. He’s a historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot. Rick also organizes a Civil War lecture and day-trip series in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Tuesday October 13, 2009, Bill Bergen, an expert on Union Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright, delivered a presentation on General Wright and the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia. Fought on October 19th, 1864, Cedar Creek—the last major action in the Shenandoah Valley—pitted Confederate Gen. Jubal Early with approximately 15,000 men, against Union Gen. Philip Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah with about twice that number. Early surprised the Federal force with a pre-dawn attack, and was driving it northward, when Sheridan, who had missed the opening of the fight, famously rode to the sound of the guns, rallied his shaken troops, and led them to an overwhelming victory that helped Lincoln win the 1864 election.

This is the seventh and final part of this series for 2009.

The Battle of Five Forks

Ron Wilson

Ron Wilson

Regular listeners of our podcast or our live streaming feed might know Rick Britton. He’s a historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot. Rick also organizes a Civil War lecture and day-trip series in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Wednesday, September 16th Ron Wilson, who was the Appomattox National Park historian for twenty-five years, delivered a fascinating talk on the Battle of Five Forks (and the three actions that immediately preceded it). Fought on April 1st, 1865, Five Forks — often called the "Waterloo of the Confederacy" — pitted Confederate Gen. George Pickett with approximately 10,000 men, against Union Gen. Philip Sheridan with twice that number. General Pickett — not particularly the sharpest knife in the Confederate rack — missed the opening of this very important engagement because he was attending a shad bake a few miles to the rear. The Southern defeat at Five Forks spelled doom for Lee’s Petersburg defenses and was truly the beginning of the end.

On Wednesday, September 23rd, Rick Britton (along with Ron Wilson) will conduct a tour of the siege lines at Petersburg and the Five Forks battlefield. Bus tour departs from the Charlottesville Senior Center at 9:00 AM. There is a fee for the tour. Call 974-6538 for more information

This is part six of a seven part series. The event is held every third Wednesday at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

The Battle of Monocacy

Marc Leepson

Marc Leepson

Regular listeners of our podcast or our live streaming feed might know Rick Britton. He’s a historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot. Rick also organizes a Civil War lecture and day-trip series in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On April 15th, 2009 journalist and historian Marc Leepson—author of Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History—spoke on the July 9th, 1864, Battle of Monocacy, which took place just south of historic Frederick, Maryland. If Union Gen. Lew Wallace (who later penned Ben Hur), had not thrown together a 6,000-man scratch force and fought the delaying action, Confederate Gen. Jubal Early’s 15,000-man veteran corps may well have marched into the Federal capital, seized the U.S. Treasury along with millions of dollars-worth of military supplies, and forced the Lincoln administration to flee.

This is part one of a seven part series. The event is held every third Wednesday at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Scott Harris of the New Market Battlefield Park

Regular listeners of our podcast or our live streaming feed might know Rick Britton. He’s a historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot. Rick also organizes a Civil War lecture and day-trip series in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On August 20, 2008, one of the speakers–Scott Harris–appeared at the Senior Center to talk about the May, 15th, 1864 Battle of New Market in the Shenandoah Valley. Scott received his B.A. with honors in History and Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College in 1983, and got his Master in History and Museum Administration from William and Mary in 1988. He is currently the director of the New Market Battlefield Park which commemorates the fascinating battle and highlights the participation of the 257 Virginia Military Institute cadets who helped capture a Union battery of artillery.