July 17, 2021 - "1864 Ransoming, Burning and Rebirth of Chambersburg (PA)"

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Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, will host a full day of activities on July 17 culminating in a reenactment of the burning of the town by cavalry under Brigadier General John McCausland on July 30, 1864. McCausland ordered the town burned after local officials were unable to meet his demand for ransom of $100,000 or $500,000 in Yankee currency. The action was in retaliation for destruction General David Hunter's troops had caused in the Shenandoah Valley. In Chambersburg, more than 500 buildings were destroyed and some 2,000 residents left homeless. Rebuilding began soon after, and in 1878 residents and the business community celebrated Chambersburg's renewal as a new era for the town. They honored area Civil War veterans with the dedication of a grand Memorial Fountain that remains the focal point of the town square today.

You can find out more about the reenactment and the day's other events--including the Old Market Day street festival, with music, crafts, vendors, book-signings, exhibits, tours, a rock wall, and more--at the Franklin County Visitors Bureau website.
 
Sounds like fun
It does. We've never gone, but it's been held for several years, and from what I've heard, the reenactment of the burning is an impressive event. Chambersburg is close enough to Gettysburg that visits to both towns could easily be combined into a single trip, allowing at least two days for Gettysburg, and preferably three or four.
 
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, will host a full day of activities on July 17 culminating in a reenactment of the burning of the town by cavalry under Brigadier General John McCausland on July 30, 1864. McCausland ordered the town burned after local officials were unable to meet his demand for ransom of $100,000 or $500,000 in Yankee currency. The action was in retaliation for destruction General David Hunter's troops had caused in the Shenandoah Valley. In Chambersburg, more than 500 buildings were destroyed and some 2,000 residents left homeless. Rebuilding began soon after, and in 1878 residents and the business community celebrated Chambersburg's renewal as a new era for the town. They honored area Civil War veterans with the dedication of a grand Memorial Fountain that remains the focal point of the town square today.

You can find out more about the reenactment and the day's other events--including the Old Market Day street festival, with music, crafts, vendors, book-signings, exhibits, tours, a rock wall, and more--at the Franklin County Visitors Bureau website.
This sounds like a great event! Last night I was at a barbecue and talked with a woman who is a direct descendant of the founder of Chambersburg. She said there is an area thereabouts known by locals as "horse valley" where the Union forces kept their horses, but it isn't the place that has that name today. In any event, best of luck with the reenactment! It's good to see things like this happening again.
 
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