Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Internships are sponsored throughout the year at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
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News
September Meeting
September 14, 2026 7:30pm
Benjamin L. Cwayna
Benjamin L. Cwayna is an attorney in private practice and a prominent leader in the Civil War reenacting and living history community. For many years, Ben commanded the 12th South Carolina/4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Inc., a nationally recognized reenacting organization. He has been featured on the “Addressing Gettysburg Podcast” with Matt Callery and has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the Civil War through living history demonstrations, presentations, and tours on numerous battlefields. A graduate of Michigan State University and Michigan State University College of Law, Benjamin resides with his son, Grant, in Grand Ledge, Michigan. An active member of the community, Cwayna is a member and past president of the Grand Ledge Rotary Club, volunteer coach, and participant in numerous other civic organizations.
At a regimental reunion in 1880, former Confederate Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan lauded the 12th South Carolina as “The finest of that immortal army,” “foremost in the charge,” and “the invincible Twelfth.” The regiment, along with four others, served under McGowan from early 1863 through the end of the war. The aging brigadier, wounded four times in combat, was an authority on the regiment’s reputation. “It would be impossible on an occasion of this kind, to give anything like a history of the Twelfth Regiment, or tell half of its gallant deeds. That,” he declared, “would require a volume.” With Benjamin L. Cwayna’s new The Invincible Twelfth: The 12th South Carolina Infantry of the Gregg-McGowan Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia, that volume has finally arrived.
Our speaker lineup for 2026 is NOW available HERE
Dinner Meeting Extras!!
At each monthly dinner meeting we offer multiple door prizes, including gift certificates to Brock's Riverside Grill and Riverby Books. We also have dozens of used Civil War and military history books available for a "pay what you will" rate. All book proceeds are donated to the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust.
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT)
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT) is a nonprofit organization preserving land associated with the Civil War campaigns of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Mine Run, The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. They have preserved nearly 1,700 acres of hallowed local battlegrounds since incorporating in 1996. RVCWRT has raised and donated over $40,000 to support CVBT projects. Our round table is proud to be the 2017 recipient of the CVBT Dr. Michael P. Stevens Preservation Award, whose purpose is "to shine a light on those who have made notable contributions to the preservation of Civil War resources in Virginia." Learn more about this active and important preservation organization at www.cvbt.org.
Brock's Riverside Grill
Brock’s Riverside Grill, 503 Sophia Street, on the Rappahannock River in historic Old Town Fredericksburg, has been our favorite meeting venue for many years. Brock’s is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch year round. Menu is American “steak and seafood” with a southwestern flair. More information is available at Brocksgrill.com. Call 540-370-1820 for reservations.
A Note from Riverby Books
Riverby Books has been buying and selling quality used books in downtown Fredericksburg since 1996. Our 3-level store houses more than 25,000 volumes for readers, scholars, and collectors alike, with an additional 25,000 volumes of rare and unusual titles found only in our online inventory. We carry titles for all interests and all levels of expertise, with a large selection of American History. We buy books (and whole collections) every day, pay fair prices, price them cheap, and delight in watching our customers take them home. No topic is too obscure. Beach reads, kids books, cook books, antique books and more. Open 7 days a week at 805 Caroline St.
https://www.riverbybooks.com/
Geoff White Music
Geoff White is from Blowing Rock North Carolina. He has played the fiddle all his life, and has performed in pubs, bars, restaurants, concert halls, and battlefields all across the east coast. Geoff was a member of the bluegrass group Sugar Run for several years. He currently lives in Roanoke. He earned a degree in History from Radford University in 2002.
