Upcoming CCWRT Program
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
May 2026 Charger Uploaded
The May 2026 issue of The Charger has been uploaded onto the Roundtable’s website. The May 2026 issue can be accessed by clicking on this link.
2026 Roundtable Field Trip – Updated Information Document (4/23/2026)
The Roundtable’s 2026 field trip is scheduled for September 17-20, 2026 to the Shenandoah Valley to study the 1862 Valley Campaign. A block of rooms has been reserved, and the itinerary has some very enticing activities on it. As of now, the following activities have been scheduled for the 2026 field trip: the First Battle of Kernstown, the Battle of Front Royal, the First Battle of Winchester, the Battle of Cross Keys, and the Battle of Port Republic. Check back for updates. A downloadable PDF containing information about the hotel, the tentative itinerary, and information about signing up for the field trip can be found by clicking on this link. This document was recently updated to include the order form for the box lunches. This order form should be completed and returned by September 1, 2026 as indicated in the instructions on the form.
Latest History Brief (April 2026) Posted
Roundtable Historian Dan Ursu’s April 2026 history brief has been posted. Dan’s latest history brief is Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 5, The Fall of Atlanta. Dan’s history brief finishes his discussion of William Tecumseh Sherman’s pivotal Atlanta Campaign, and it can be accessed by clicking on this link.
May 2026 Roundtable Meeting: “General Winfield Scott Hancock, Commander of the U.S. Second Corps”
The May 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable will take place on May 13, 2026 beginning at 6:00 p.m. This will be an in-person meeting. The speaker will be Brian Burtka, and the title of Brian’s presentation is “General Winfield Scott Hancock, Commander of the U.S. Second Corps.”
Winfield Scott Hancock was a household name in the nineteenth century. Today, this presidential candidate is barely remembered outside of Gettysburg discussions. Born in 1824 just outside Philadelphia, Hancock was a career officer in the U.S. Army. During the Civil War, Hancock rose through the ranks and became one of the best Corps commanders in the Union Army. He is known as “Hancock the Superb.” After the Civil War, Hancock continued his military career. In 1880, the Democratic Party nominated Hancock for President. He lost in one of the closest popular votes in U.S. history. Hancock died in 1886 on active duty in New York City. This first-person portrayal brings his story to life and shows why Hancock was a household name.
Brian Burtka, S.J., is a high school teacher at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. A native of Detroit, he completed his M.A. in Public History from Loyola University Chicago in the spring of 2024. During this time, he interned at Manassas National Battlefield Park. Brian began reenacting in 2013 and has portrayed multiple impressions and people over the years. Brian’s interest in Winfield Scott Hancock began during his first trip to Gettysburg. Brian began portraying Hancock in 2023 and portrays him at reenactments across the Midwest. Brian can be found at many local events in Ohio, and he is frequently found with his political rival at the James A. Garfield Civil War Roundtable. For more information about Winfield Scott Hancock, please see Hancock the Superb, which is the digital biography that Brian created during Hancock’s bicentennial in 2024.
The May 2026 meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Independence (6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio 44131). Reservations should be made by sending an email to the Roundtable’s reservation email account (ccwrtreserve@gmail.com). Reservations must be made no later than eight days before the meeting (i.e., no later than May 5, 2026). When making a reservation, please include your name and the number and names of any guests. Please also indicate the meal choice for you (and any guests). The three meal options are portobello chicken, penne chicken broccolini, and grilled eggplant bruschetta. If a reservation needs to be canceled, it must be canceled no later than May 12, 2026. Dinner will be provided to anyone who has a reservation. The cost of dinner is $35 per person. It is not necessary to purchase dinner in order to attend the meeting, but reservations are requested from everyone in order to have sufficient chairs set up in the meeting room. Those who plan to attend the meeting without purchasing dinner should indicate “no dinner” when they make a reservation. Other details can be found on the Reservations web page by clicking on this link.
Membership Roster and Contact Information
We have worked very hard to improve our membership database and contact information this year, but we know we probably have more work to do. Please be sure to keep us advised of changes in contact information by sending us the information at clecwrt@gmail.com. We monitor that email account on a regular basis, so this would be a big help in making sure we can keep you informed of group activities. If you want to see what has been posted on our Facebook page, you do not have to become a member of the Roundtable. Everyone is welcome to view our Facebook page. These can also be accessed by googling “Cleveland Civil War Roundtable” and either “Facebook” or “Twitter” and clicking on the appropriate link in the search results.
Cleveland Civil War Roundtable Monthly Meetings
Meeting Time: Monthly meetings of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable are typically held on the second Wednesday of the month from September through May. Meetings ordinarily begin with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7:00 p.m. Meetings usually end by around 9:00 p.m. All of our meetings are currently held in person, and barring any future health-related restrictions, we anticipate that all meetings will be held in person.
Meeting Location: In-person meetings are held at the Holiday Inn Independence, 6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio 44131.
Reservations: For in-person meetings, you must make a dinner reservation for any meeting you plan to attend. Reservations must be made no later than eight days prior to the meeting (so we can give a head count to the caterer). For information on making a dinner reservation, click on this link. It is not necessary to purchase dinner in order to attend a meeting. Anyone is welcome to attend the presentation without purchasing dinner. We ask that people who are not purchasing dinner make a reservation so that enough chairs will be set up in the meeting room. Simply make a reservation at the reservation email address (ccwrtreserve@gmail.com) and indicate “no dinner” in the reservation. If dinner is not purchased, there is no charge to attend a meeting.