OCTOBER PROGRAM

"Fort Fisher and the Battle for Wilmington, N.C."

Monday, Oct. 12, 2026

Presenter: Chris Fonvielle, Jr., Ph.D.

Gather at 6 p.m.. Program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Sponsored by The Citadel's Department of History

SPECIAL MEETING LOCATION: Washington Light Infantry Building

DIRECTIONS
MapQuest

Washington Light Infantry Bldg.
287 Meeting St., Charleston, S.C.

Chris Fonvielle, Jr., Ph.D., a native Wilmingtonian and the author of several books on coastal defenses and blockade running in Southeastern North Carolina, will present October's program, "Fort Fisher and the Battle for Wilmington, N.C." Fonvielle, who taught Civil War history at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington from 1996 until his retirement in 2018, will also be our guide for the Fort Sumter Civil War Round Table's upcoming Fall Field Trip on November 6 & 7. (See Below)

Sign-Up NOW for FSCWRT Fall Field Trip to
Wilmington, N.C., on Nov. 6 & 7!

Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr., author of The Wilmington Campaign, Last Rays of Departing Hope (1997),
will conduct the fall tour. Shown above is a painting of the second Battle of Fort Fisher
(Jan. 13 - 16, 1865), a Union victory and part of of the Wilmington Campaign (Dec. 7, 1864 -
Feb. 22, 1865).

Sign-Up in Two Quick & Easy Steps:
1. Pay & register at Eventbrite.
2. Then, reserve your room at a special rate at Hampton Inn.

Members of the Fort Sumter Civil War Round Table will be touring Fort Fisher, "the Gibraltar of the South," and its impressive new museum as well as the Confederate Sugar Loaf Line, Fort Anderson and the Forks Road Battlefield.

Saturday's guide will be Chris Fonvielle, Jr., Ph.D., a native Wilmingtonian and the author of several books on coastal defenses and blockade running in Southeastern North Carolina. He taught Civil War history at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington from 1996 until his retirement in 2018.

We will be blessed with his expert interpretation, compelling storytelling and the shared pleasure of exploring history where it happened.

The $250.00 per person registration fee covers a catered reception Friday night in the Bellamy Room at the Hampton Inn downtown Wilmington, a complete tour, lunch and an evening banquet dinner in a private room at the historic Pilot House Restaurant.

Reserve a hotel room for Friday and Saturday nights. The Hampton Inn at 225 Grace Street in historic downtown Wilmington is holding a block of rooms for members of the FSCWRT at a special discounted rate of $163 per night. If you collect Hilton Hotel Honor points, it just gets better. Because Hampton Inn is now part of Hilton Hotel's family of hotels, you will be able to use your Hilton Hotel Honor Points!

Please pay and register for this great field trip, and reserve your room soon at the special discounted rate above while rooms are available.

"First Strike: The U.S. Navy in the Battle of Fort Fisher, 1864" Civil War Navy -- The Magazine Fall 2025 (Vol. 13, No. 2)	Civil War Navy -- The Magazine has generously provided copies of two excellent articles on the first and second battles of Fort Fisher, written by Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr., to post on this website. Launched in 2012, this quarterly magazine publishes in-depth articles on naval aspects of the Civil War, and highlights the military role and significance of naval operations during the conflict. For more information, please visit:	"Second Strike: The U.S. Navy in the Battle of Fort Fisher, 1865" Civil War Navy -- The Magazine Winter 2026 (Vol. 13, No. 3)
	www.CivilWarNavy.com

PREVIOUS PROGRAM

"Lee Invades Maryland -- Twice": A Comparison of the Antietam and Gettysburg Invasions of the North

Monday, Sept. 14, 2026

Presenter: Brad Gottfried

Jenkins Hall Auditorium, The Citadel
Sponsored by The Citadel's Department of History

Bradley M. Gottfried
Speaker

Gen. Robert E. Lee invaded the North twice -- first in 1862 during the Maryland Campaign which culminated in the Battle of Antietam and again in 1863 during the Pennsylvania Campaign which ended with the retreat from Gettysburg. Bradley M. Gottfried, September's speaker, provided a fast-moving presentation that compared and contrasted the two campaigns, including why Lee invaded, the size and condition of the two armies, their organizations, logistical issues, routes to the battlefields, the battles, a comparison of the casualties, and the aftermath.

Immediately following his excellent presentation, Gottfried fielded questions from the audience.

Gottfried earned a Ph.D. in Zoology and served as a college educator for more than 40 years, rising to the presidency of two colleges before retiring in 2017. He has written 23 books on the Civil War and won several awards. Gottfried is a Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide and Antietam Licensed Battlefield Guide.

Phil Cathcart, FSCWRT Board Member,
presides over the September Meeting.

Jenkins Hall Auditorium, The Citadel, Sept. 14, 2026

Click here to view photos of
past presentations and events.

Support Friends of the National Parks

As some of you may know, several of the Fort Sumter Civil War Round Table members also are associated with what, until recently, was called Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie Historical Trust. Not long ago, the Trust "rebranded,", i.e., changed its name to better represent what it does. The Trust is now Friends of Charleston National Parks. Its mission is to help the National Park Service protect and preserve Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site (Snee Farm Plantation), and the U.S. Coast Guard Historic District on Sullivan's Island (the lighthouse and the old life-saving station that are next to each other). With that in mind, Round Table board members are passing along this information knowing that those who are interested in one aspect of history often are interested in others. We encourage anyone who wishes to do so to support Friends of Charleston National Parks.

For more information, visit: https://friendofscnp.org

Follow the Fort Sumter Civil War Round Table on Facebook