Annual Conference

“The Wars that Forged America"

American Battlefield Trust Event

May 12 - June 15, 2022

American Battlefield Trust Annual Conference
Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles
14750 Conference Center Drive
Chantilly, VA 20151

Registration

If you are interested in registering for the Annual Conference, please contact events@battlefields.org for more information.

Host Hotel

Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles
14750 Conference Center Drive
Chantilly, VA 20151

Details:

The group room rate is $159+/night.
To make your hotel reservations, you can visit this link for online booking, or call the hotel at 703-818-0300 and ask for the American Battlefield Trust group rate.
Reservations must be made by Monday, April 18, 2022 (or until the room block is full) to receive the reduced group rate.

Tentative Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 12, 2022

11:00 am – 9:00 pm| Annual Conference Registration Open, exhibitor tables open during this time.

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Color Bearer Tours

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm | History Talks

A Season of Slaughter: Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle with Chris Mackowski
For twenty-two straight hours, in torrential downpours, up to their knees in mud and blood, Federals and Confederates slugged it out in the most intense sustained hand-to-hand combat of the war. A panoply of horror, one soldier called it. A Saturnalia of blood. Hell’s Half-Acre. The slaughter pen of Spotsylvania. Most remember it simply as the Bloody Angle.

Mr. Lincoln’s Air Force with Dr. James "Jim" Green
At the outbreak of the war, newspaper articles pleaded with the government to employ balloon observations. Before Bull Run aeronauts joined units or just came to Washington to volunteer their service. Aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe, distinguished himself on the National Mall, getting Lincoln’s attention long enough to prove that balloon observations could contribute to gathering actionable intelligence. Lowe became Chief Aeronaut of the Balloon Corps creating 7 balloons that he spread along the border with Virginia providing observations of Confederate troop movements. As a visible alarm system in the event of a Rebel invasion of Washington, Lincoln’s Air Force was one element of his strategy that calmed the public fears and created our nation’s 1st Air Force. But it was not destined to last throughout the war.

5:45 pm – 6:30 pm | Welcome

6:30 pm – 8:15 pm| Welcome Reception

8:15 pm – 9:00 pm| Photo Extravaganza with Garry Adelman

Friday, May 13, 2022

6:30 am – 8:30 am | Breakfast buffet

7:30 am – 9:30 am | Registration open

8:00 am – 9:30 am | Tours depart

6:45 pm – 7:15 pm | Cocktail Reception for Color Bearers

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | Color Bearer Author Dinner with Keynote Speaker Wayne Motts

Saturday, May 14, 2022

6:30 – 8:30 am | Breakfast buffet

8:00 am – 9:30 am | Tours depart