. . . To Support Our Mission
OUR OCT 23, 2026 MEETING
10:30 AM, Lake of the Woods Clubhouse
Speaker: Clark "Bud" Hall
“Grant in Culpeper ”
Local historian Clark “Bud” Hall will discuss newly appointed General-in-Chief, Ulysses S. Grant’s arrival in Culpeper County on March 26, 1864 for a six-week sojourn. His headquarters at the Barbour House in Culpeper Court House (at the Northwest intersection of modern-day Main and Davis Streets) was where he planned what has become known as the Overland Campaign. The Union Army, 102,000 strong, moved to Lee’s right flank crossing the Rapidan River on May 4th, and toward what became the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5 – 7, 1864). The last large action of the battle, Gordon’s Flank Attack, in late afternoon of May 6, 1864, was fought on much of what is now Lake of the Woods.
Bud is the foremost expert on the Civil War in Culpeper County, Va., and a passionate battlefield preservationist. His efforts to save the Brandy Station battlefield, the beautiful, rolling fields and woodlots off Route 29, are renowned and culminated in the new Culpeper Battlefields State Park. He is a former Marine, ex-FBI agent, and Congressional investigator, who is co-founder and past board member of the Chantilly Battlefield Association, Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, and the Brandy Station Foundation. In 2012, he received the ‘Civil War Trust’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his then-25 year efforts to protect America’s hallowed ground, and 15 years later is still leading the charge.
The program will be held in the grand ballroom of the LOW Clubhouse, 205 Lakeview Pkwy, Locust Grove, VA on Oct 23, 2026 beginning at 10:30 AM.
Everyone with an interest in Civil War history or historic preservation is invited to attend our presentations. For more information about the program or the Civil War Study Group, contact Jack Phend, President 630-854-0805 or access the website at civilwarstudygroup.org.
OUR SEPT 25, 2026 MEETING
10:30 AM, Lake of the Woods Clubhouse, LOWER LEVEL
Speakers: Steward Henderson; Howard Lambert
“United States Colored Troops Join Burnside’s 9th Corps ”
In January 1864, General Ambrose Burnside reorganized the Union IX Army Corps and requested he have one division be comprised of United States Colored Troops (USCT) — a first for the Union Army. It became the 4th Division and camped by Flat Run in today’s Lake of the Woods area at the start of the Battle of the Wilderness.
NPS Interpretive Park Ranger Henderson will recount the history of the 4th Division through the end of the war and on into Texas afterwards. The 4th DIV is the subject of our USCT interpretive panel dedicated, with Henderson’s help, this past May.
Howard Lambert will discuss Madden’s Tavern and his efforts to develop the Maddensville Historic District Memorial.
In addition, those attending the presentation are invited to take a “field trip” to the actual memorial. Thirty minutes after the conclusion of the regular meeting, the group will gather at the Maddensville Historic District Memorial, 23144 Madden’s Tavern Road, near Lignum, to hear the rest of the story. (Individuals will provide their own transportation to the site, about 10 miles from Lake of the Woods.)
Looking towards future programs,
or Missed a program?
Since November 2020 we have been able to record speaker presentations. Please go to our PROGRAMS page to find the links to the recordings. CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO VISIT OUR PROGRAMS PAGE TO SEE A LIST OF FUTURE (OR PAST) PROGRAMS:
“… the Battle of the Wilderness: …arguably, … the most important battle in the Civil War.
- Edwin C. Bearss, National Park Service Chief Historian Emeritus
May 9, 2014 at Hanover Tavern, VA
Let us introduce ourselves:
The Civil War Study Group at Lake of the Woods, Virginia, is dedicated to historical research, preservation, and education of the public on historic events in Orange County, Virginia and the surrounding area during the American Civil War. We have no dues, no membership roster, no requirements to attend meetings or volunteer for any of our projects. We hope you’ll join us in our mission to tell the story of the May 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, as well as other tales of the Civil War here in the historic Piedmont of Virginia.
. . . To Support Our Mission
