Franklin County, PA Re-enactment: The Burning of Chambersburg
The smoke grows denser as more buildings are set a fire. The women gathered near the Courthouse watch in disbelief and anguish.
Experience the historic Civil War destruction of July 30, 1864
On July 26, 1864, Gen. Jubal Early ordered Gen. “Tiger” John McCausland to proceed to Chambersburg and deliver a ransom demand.
“At Chambersburg levy $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in Northern Money to pay for the houses of Andrew Hunter, Alexander R. Boteler and Edmund I. Lee of Jefferson Co. Va., which were burned by order of the Federal military authorities and if the money is not paid, burn the entire town as a retaliation for the burning of these…”
McCausland used the same route as J.E.B. Stuart when he raided the southern border of Pennsylvania in 1862, crossing at McCoy’s Ferry Ford and moving northward into Mercersburg and then to Chambersburg. In all, the raiders totaled about 2,800 mounted calvary and four cannons.
The Confederates rang the courthouse bell to gather citizens and read the ransom demand.
Actual photo of the Bank of Chambersburg after the Confederate firing of July 30, 1864. The bank was rebuilt as the National Bank of Chambersburg and is now the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center.
Even if the citizens of Chambersburg wanted to meet the demand, they could not. With Stuart’s raid in 1862 and the invasion of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in 1863, residents shipped their valuables out of town. Banks also transported their money to safer places. As soon as McCausland realized the ransom demand would not be paid, he gave the order to burn the town.
Detachments were sent to different parts of the town. Firing the buildings on the square commenced. Houses were opened, furniture was broken, piled in heaps, and set on fire. Sometimes the fire was started in closets or bureaus with clothing. The Confederates moved quickly and fired building after building. It was a horrific and startling scene.
Jacob Hoke, a Chambersburg merchant, wrote an eyewitness account in The Great Invasion: “The conflagration at its height was a scene of surpassing grandeur and terror. As building after building was fired, or caught from others, column after column of smoke rose black, straight, and single; first one, then another, and another. Each of these then, like huge serpents, writhed and twisted into a thousand fantastic shapes, until all finally blended and commingled, and formed one vast and livid column of smoke and flame which rose perpendicularly to the sky, and then spread out into a huge crown of sackcloth. It was heaven’s shield mercifully drawn over the scene to shelter from the blazing sun the homeless and unsheltered ones that had fled to the fields and cemeteries around the town, where they in silence and sadness sat and looked upon the destruction of their homes and the accumulations of a lifetime.”
Chambersburg was founded 1764 and was burned 1864. History comes to life on July 20, 2024, as today’s community celebrates the rebirth of Chambersburg from the destruction of July 30, 1864. 1864 Ransoming, Burning & Rebirth of Chambersburg is a living history portrayal, using lights and atmospheric effects so realistic, the town seems ablaze.
Re-enactment begins at dusk and is best viewed from the Memorial Square. Bring a lawn chair. Come early. Enjoy Old Market Day street festival, beginning at 9 a.m. At 7 p.m., the final round of A Cappella & Unplugged begins and leads into 1864 portrayal. For more details, visit ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or contact 866.646.8060. the rebirth of the town, which courageously rose from the ashes of war.
1864 living history portrayal with lights and atmospheric effects brings history to life. The audience is literally surrounded by the center of town ablaze.
The 2nd United States Sharpshooters (USSS) helped to unveil the Civil War Trails sign on Furnace Road, added to the multi-state trail in mid-May 2024.
1863 Retreat from Gettysburg: Battle of Monterey Pass
The Confederacy evacuated Gettysburg in a 20-mile wagon train to make a treacherous retreat across South Mountain and cross the Potomac River as quickly as possible. It was hard journey.
During the late hours of July 4, Confederate and Union troops clashed at Monterey Pass. Chaotic fighting spilled over into the early hours of July 5 in total darkness and a raging thunderstorm. The weight of the wagons and the mud made conditions so bad that Confederate soldiers called the area Mount Misery. The retreat resulted in the second largest battle in Pennsylvania. All together more than 10,000 Union and Confederate soldiers clashed in Adams and Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania and Washington and Frederick Counties, Maryland.
The Battle of Monterey Pass is part of the Civil War Trails. The story of the retreat and Franklin County Civil War history is the centerpiece of Monterey Pass Battlefield Museum and Park. The park contains more than 125-acres of trails with a breathtaking view from Monterey Pass Overlook.