From the President's Desk October 2026
From the President’s Desk
October 28, 2026
Our September meeting got the 2026-2027 Program Year off to a great start. With 108 attendees, we had one of our largest gatherings ever. Thanks to everyone for your superb support.
Our speaker, Dr. Scott Hippensteel, was superb and challenged us to think critically about some of the most iconic Civil War photographs. He noted that some photographers staged photos by moving bodies, weapons, and surrounding features on the battlefield.
These photos have been published in a wide variety of publications over the years, often presenting a false narrative of the actual event. Thanks to our Program Chairman, Scott Boyd, for coordinating Dr. Hippensteel’s talk.
It was an honor to receive the Wallace Rueckel Award for Innovation from Mr. Mike Movius, president of the Civil War Roundtable Congress. Mr. Rueckel established the Brunswick Civil War Roundtable, the largest in the nation. He was a leader in the roundtable community and led a group of organizers to found the Civil War Roundtable Congress. Our award was based on the work to codify and implement administrative procedures that define how our Round Table operates. This will be extremely helpful when we transition officers and members of the Board of Directors. George Fenton, Steve Fox and David Hamon were instrumental in the development of these procedures.
As a reminder, we will join the Ladies Memorial Association on October 24, 2026, at 9am for placement of flat stones in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery. This work is needed before the identification of soldiers buried there are lost in history. Please plan to attend and support if you are able and your schedule permits. Thanks to Basil Moncrief for coordinating this worthwhile effort.
Thank you to those members who are sponsoring a program. We now have sponsors for all presentations, and, in fact, several have two sponsors. There’s always room for more sponsors if anyone is still interested. It’s a great way to support our Round Table.
Special thanks to Julie Jennings for including our Round Table in the winter edition of the Fredericksburg Guidebook. The health of our organization depends on maintaining a vibrant membership. Outreach efforts such as this help us contact potential new members and promote our Round Table. Well done, Julie.
Please plan to attend this month when Dr. Jonathan Noyalas discusses General Philip Sheridan. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about one of the most controversial figures of the Civil War.
I look forward to seeing you on October 28.
Jerre Wilson
Comments