Category: Rick Britton

Posted on

‘Stonewall’ Jackson’s Valley Campaign

Rick Britton introduces this month's guest speaker before a packed house at the Charlottesville Senior Center Wednesday.

Rick Britton introduces this month’s guest speaker before a packed house at the Charlottesville Senior Center Wednesday.

Regular listeners of our podcasts might know Rick Britton. He’s a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes a “Civil War Lecture and Day-Trip Series” in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Troy Marshall

Troy Marshall

On Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Troy Marshall spoke about the brilliant campaign that made “Stonewall” Jackson famous. Through May and early June of 1862, Jackson and his 17,000-man “foot cavalry” out-marched, out-maneuvered, and out-fought several Federal forces totaling over 60,000 men.

On Wednesday, July 27, 2010, Rick Britton will conduct a Civil War day-trip into the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. The tour will start off by motoring down the Luray Valley, then take in the urban Front Royal battlefield, the Warren Rifles Confederate Museum, and the nearby Belle Boyd cottage, home of the famous Southern spy. The tour will also spend some time simply enjoying this charming Shenandoah Valley town. 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 four of a six part series for 2011. You can listen to all six parts of this series here.

Posted on

Historic Cemeteries of Virginia

Sharon Hughes speaking before a full house Wednesday at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Sharon Hughes speaking before
a full house Wednesday
at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Regular listeners of our podcasts might know Rick Britton. He’s a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes lecture programs and day-trips in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On June 16, 2011, a brand new series was launched-“Historic Cemeteries of Virginia.” That evening Sharon Hughes-Danville, Virginia’s, own “Cemetery Lady”-presented a talk on Victorian statuary symbolism and mourning customs. Using slides taken in Danville’s beautiful Green Hill Cemetery, Hughes explained the various religious and classical concepts behind the 19th-century gravestone decorations. She also gave the audience a sampling of the cemetery’s many fascinating stories.

Sharon Hughes

Sharon Hughes

On June 20, 2011, Sharon Hughes will conduct a tour of Green Hill Cemetery. Participants will also see Danville’s Millionaire’s Row, the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History (also known as the “Last Capitol of the Confederacy”), and the Langhorne home (birthplace of Lady Astor). Bus tour departs from the Charlottesville Senior Center at 8:00 AM. There is a fee for the tour. Call 974-6538 for more information.

This is the first of a two part series. You can listen to both parts of this series here.

Posted on

General Thomas J. Jackson

Scott Harris speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Scott Harris speaking at the
Charlottesville Senior Center.

Regular listeners of our podcasts might know Rick Britton. He’s a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes a “Civil War Lecture and Day-Trip Series” in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2011 Scott Harris delivered a talk on Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson at Second Manassas, the 1862 action fought close to the spot where the general, in 1861, had won the nickname “Stonewall.” Fought as a meeting engagement on August 28th-30th, 1862, Second Manassas saw Jackson’s corps holding against the uncoordinated enemy assaults ordered by Union General John Pope. At Second Manassas, too, some of Jackson’s men, temporarily out of ammunition and desperate, resorted to throwing rocks.

On Wednesday, June 22nd, Rick Britton will conduct a tour of the Second Manassas Battlefield. The tour will take in the Visitors Center in the morning, then, following lunch nearby, spend the afternoon on this beautifully preserved Northern Virginia 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 three of a six part series for 2011. You can listen to all six parts of this series here.

Posted on

The Life and Military Career of General U. S. Grant

Bill Ferraro speaking before a packed house at the Charlottesville Senior Center Wednesday.

Bill Ferraro speaking before a packed house
at the Charlottesville Senior Center Wednesday.

Regular listeners of our podcasts might know Rick Britton. He’s an award-wining 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, May 18, 2011 Bill Ferraro —a former Editor with the Papers of U. S. Grant— delivered a fascinating talk on the life and military career of General Grant.

Bill Ferraro

Bill Ferraro

Born in Ohio in 1822, and an 1843 graduate of West Point, Grant finished the Mexican War as a captain with citations for gallantry and meritorious conduct. After leaving the Army in 1854, he worked hard but nonetheless failed at a number of civilian undertakings. In the Civil War, however, Grant rose steadily in the ranks —from Colonel to General-in-Chief of the Armies— and, after coming east to take on Robert E. Lee and his seldom-bested Army of Northern Virginia, demonstrated his great inner strength and an iron-willed determination to grind down Confederate forces: two qualities sorely missing in previous commanders. Who was this successful Western General? Listen to find out why.

This is part two of a six part series for 2011. You can listen to all six parts of this series here.

Posted on

The Battle of Cold Harbor

Ed Sanders

Ed Sanders speaking before a packed house at the Charlottesville Senior Center. Part one of six.

Regular listeners of our podcasts might know Rick Britton. He’s an award-winning 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, April 20th—to a packed crowd—NPS Historian Ed Sanders delivered a fantastic talk on one of the war’s most vicious battles. Fought between May 31st & June 12th, 1864—and featuring hopeless Federal assaults on June 3rd—the Battle of Cold Harbor was the last combat of U. S. Grant’s aggressive Overland Campaign. At Cold Harbor R. E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, dug in along a line stretching six miles, inflicted 6,000 casualties while suffering very few. It was a bloodletting that future President U. S. Grant lived to regret.

On Wednesday, April 27nd, Rick Britton will conduct an afternoon tour of the Cold Harbor Battlefield (just outside of Richmond). We’ll start off the day by taking in the new Civil War exhibit at the Virginia Historical Society. Then we’ll enjoy lunch at the Tobacco Company. Bus tour departs at 9:00 am and returns at about 5:00 pm. There is a fee for the tour. Call 974-6538 for more info!

This is the first of a six part series for 2011. You can listen to all six parts of this series here.

Posted on

Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot

3.24.11 Best-selling author and local historian Rick Britton joins Coy to continue their conversational series on the lifetime contributions of Thomas Jefferson. In today’s installment of “TJ’s Greatest Hits,” Britton recounts the Governorship of the Founder of the University of Virginia. Rick also has a quiz on some little known facts and trivia about Mr. Jefferson.

Posted on

Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot

2.16.11 Best-selling author and local historian Rick Britton joins Coy to continue their conversation series on the lifetime contributions of Thomas Jefferson. In today’s installment of “TJ’s Greatest Hits,” the discussion covers what Jefferson himself views to be one of his greatest hits- authorship of the Declaration of Independence. To what extent was Jefferson’s handywork edited by his colleagues? Also included is a quiz on some little knows Jefferson facts and trivia.

Posted on

Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot

2.3.11 Best-selling author and local historian Rick Britton joins Coy to continue their conversational series on the lifetime contributions of Thomas Jefferson. In today’s installment of “TJ’s Greatest Hits,” Britton recounts how the “First” Monticello came to be. Work began on the house in 1768, and the finished product included a large vegetable garden, eight bed rooms, and more architectural details you can hear about in today’s interview. Also included is a quiz on some little known Thomas Jefferson facts and trivia.

Posted on

Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot

1.28.11 Best-selling author and local historian Rick Britton joins Coy to discuss breaking news out of Orange, Virginia. Walmart Stores, Inc. has officially dropped its plans to build a new store near the Wilderness Battlefield site. Britton feels this is a win-win situation: both for preservationists and the people of the county because Walmart plans to build in a different location, but this historic site will also remain unharmed.

Posted on

Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Britton joins Coy Barefoot

1.20.11 Best-selling author and local historian Rick Britton joins Coy to continue their conversational series on the lifetime contributions of Thomas Jefferson. In today’s installment of “TJ’s Greatest Hits,” Britton recounts our 3rd President’s time spent as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. At the time, Jefferson was only 25 years old, and Britton discusses what drove him to get into politics, what other big names served as Burgesses alongside TJ, and what important contributions, including serving on the Virginia Committee of Correspondence, were made during his time as a Burgess. Also included is a quiz on some little known Thomas Jefferson facts and trivia. Be sure to check out Britton’s next speaking engagement on Thursday, January 27th at Michie Tavern about Edgar Allen Poe’s time at UVA, and for more information call [(434)977-1234].