Retreat from Victory with Francis Augustín O'Reilly
2026-07-16 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Join author Francis Augustín O’Reilly for a deep dive into the pivotal Battle of Malvern Hill and the complexities of its outcome.

The Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862, marked the climax of the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond, Virginia. Fought on the doorstep of the Confederate capital, Malvern Hill marked the first time the full might of General George B. McClellan’s Union Army of the Potomac and General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met. Despite resulting in a Union victory, the battle provided important advantages for the Confederacy, as McClellan retreated to establish a safe base on the James River.

Francis Augustín O’Reilly has been a professional battlefield guide for 40 years, as well as an award-winning author. He gives tours and lectures on topics of war and leadership all over Virginia and the world. His book, The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Book signing at 7 pm.

Members Reception at 5 pm

The Hell-Fired Blues: Virginians in the American Revolution
2026-07-21 18:30 - 19:30
Join historian John C. Settle as he uncovers the lives and service of Virginia’s Continental soldiers.

The American Civil War Museum–Appomattox is pleased to host the Appomattox Petersburg Preservation Society for their lecture, “The Hell-Fired Blues: Virginians in the American Revolution.”

Following the disastrous defeats at Charleston and Waxhaws, the Virginia Continental Line had to be reorganized. Despite the challenges of recruiting, supplying, and properly officering these new battalions, Virginia’s Continental soldiers played an important role in the campaigns in the South through the end of the Revolutionary War. Yet despite their service, they are largely forgotten. Through hundreds of pension applications and letters, John C. Settle has reconstructed the story of not only the battles and generals, but the experiences of the officers and men of the Virginia Continental Line as soldiers and veterans.

John C. Settle currently teaches U.S. history and civics in Powhatan County. His research focuses on the military experiences of Virginians during and after the Revolutionary War. His book, The Virginia Continental Line in the Revolution’s Southern Campaigns, examines the experiences of Virginia Continental soldiers during the later years of the war. Settle has also published articles for the Fluvanna Historical Society and the Journal of the American Revolution.

The Boy Generals with Adolfo Ovies
2026-07-30 18:30 - 19:30
The turbulent events of the closing months of the Civil War serve as a backdrop for the increasingly dysfunctional—and bitter—relationship between George Armstrong Custer and Wesley Merritt.

Join us as Adolfo Ovies concludes The Boy Generals trilogy with a race from the Shenandoah Valley to Appomattox, offering an uncompromising examination of the darker aspects of how the war in the Valley unfolded.

The Boy Generals trilogy springs from his lifelong passion for the Civil War, and for George Custer’s role in it in particular. Ovies serves on the Board of Directors of the Little Big Horn Association, where he champions Custer’s role in the Civil War. He is an active member of the Miami Civil War Round Table and serves as the administrator of the group’s Facebook page.

The Lower Battlefield of Antietam with Bert Dunkerly
2026-08-17 18:00 - 19:00
What happened on Antietam’s forgotten battlefield? Hear historian Bert Dunkerly reveal its hidden history and preservation.

While Antietam remains one of the most famous engagements of the Civil War, the lower end of the battlefield has been largely overlooked, in preservation and in scholarship. This area saw the final Union and Confederate attacks of the day and many details of these actions remain largely unknown. Historian Bert Dunkerly will discuss why this area has been neglected and its recent preservation and public access.

Robert M. Dunkerly is a historian who is active in historic preservation. He has authored seventeen books about the American Revolution, the Civil War and other topics. Dunkerly has served as president of the Richmond Civil War Round Table, taught classes at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and Central Virginia Community College, and writes for the Emerging Civil War and Revolutionary War blogs. He has visited more than one thousand battlefields worldwide.

Members Reception at 5 pm

Parking:

Please use the gated entrance on Brown’s Island Way to access the parking lot. The gated entrance will remain open from 5:00 pm until 6:20 pm and will be reopened for departure after the program’s completion.

If you need assistance, Guest Services staff may be reached at 804-649-1861 ext.100.

Daniel H. Hill: A Military Life with Chris J. Hartley
2026-08-20 18:30 - 19:30
Join Chris J. Hartley for a compelling military assessment of Daniel Harvey Hill, one of the Confederacy’s most enigmatic figures.

Daniel Harvey Hill was celebrated for his courage on the Civil War battlefield, but was equally known for the controversies and bitter rivalries that defined much of his military career. Join author Chris J. Hartley for a compelling military assessment of one of the Confederacy’s most enigmatic figures.

Chris J. Hartley is an award-winning author, speaker, and battlefield tour guide. His works include The Lost Soldier and Stoneman’s Raid, receiving recognition including the Willie Parker Peace Prize and a Preservation Education and Publication Award from the Historic Salisbury Foundation.

Point Lookout with Robert Crickenberger
2026-09-10 18:30 - 19:30
Join Robert Crickenberger as he shares about Point Lookout, the largest Civil War Prison, and why its history deserves a fresh look.

After it emerged in July 1863, Point Lookout became the largest prisoner of war camp of the Civil War and marked the “second wave” of Union prison camps. By the end of the war, more than 52,000 prisoners had passed through its gates. Join us as Robert Crickenberger shares insights from his groundbreaking study, which reexamines the prison and its place in Civil War history.

Robert E. Crickenberger Jr. has studied Point Lookout for over 48 years and serves as a volunteer and living historian at Point Lookout State Park. He is the President of the Friends of Point Lookout and a Historic Weapons Safety Officer for the Maryland Park Service, earning him the title of Honorary Ranger.

The Veteran Reserve Corps with David A. Welker
2026-10-01 18:30 - 19:30
Join David A. Welker as he brings to light the story of the Veteran Reserve Corps and the wounded soldiers who helped defend the Union.

The Veteran Reserve Corps, originally known as the Union’s Invalid Corps, was created when President Lincoln called 60,000 wounded combat veterans back to service during the war’s darkest days. These men overcame ridicule and public scorn to contribute to Union victory, including their often overlooked role in saving the nation’s capital from Confederate attack in July 1864.

David A. Welker is a professional historian with the US Government and author of three Civil War histories, The Cornfield: Antietam’s Turning Point; Tempest at OxHill: The Battle of Chantilly and A Keystone Rebel: The Diary of Joseph Garey. Welker is also the author of numerous magazine articles and a frequent public speaker on diverse aspects of the war.

2026 Lincoln Prize Lecture
2026-10-15 18:00 - 20:30
The American Civil War Museum is pleased to announce the Annual Lincoln Prize Lecture will be held at the Tredegar site in Richmond, Virginia on October 15th, 2026.

This event is in partnership with Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. Our partnership with Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is reflective of our continuing commitment to engage in national conversations about the Civil War by presenting the most respected authorities in the field of research and scholarship.

The Gilder Lehrman annual Lincoln Prize award is given to the finest scholarly work in English on Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldier, or the American Civil War era. This year’s recipient is Dr. Richard Carwardine, Distinguished Fellow of the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford, for his book Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln’s Union.

A two-time recipient of the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize, Dr. Carwardine is a Welsh-born historian of the United States. He spent over thirty years in the Department of History at Sheffield University before taking up the Rhodes Professorship of American History at Oxford in 2002. He was elected President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 2009 and navigated the College towards the 500th anniversary of its founding. He received his first Lincoln Prize in 2004 for his book Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power.

The ACWM Lincoln Prize Lecture includes a reception with Dr. Carwardine followed by the lecture and book signing in the Museum.

October 15, 2026

Reception 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Lecture & Book Signing 7:00pm – 8:30pm

480 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219

Early registration is suggested!
