Allison-Antrim Museum, 365 South Ridge Avenue, Greencastle, Pennsylvania 17225 will hold its monthly speaker meeting on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in the German Bank Barn beginning at 7 p.m. The facility is wheelchair accessible.
Steve French, historian, will present a program about the Confederate retreat after the Burning of Chambersburg. On the evening of July 30, 1864, over 2800 Confederates troopers arrived in McConnellsburg, Pa. after earlier in the day torching over 500 structures in Chambersburg. As some raiders accosted citizens, ransacked stores, and grabbed fresh horses, Brig. Gen. John McCausland demanded 2,000 meals from the frightened populace. In the meantime, Brig. Gen. William W Averell led Union troopers toward Tuscarora Mountain determined to catch and defeat the Rebels. The illustrated talk, by author and historian Steve French, will focus on events in McConnellsburg, fighting at Hancock, Folck’s Mill and the Potomac crossing at Oldtown, Md., plus pitched battles at New Creek and Moorefield, W.Va.
French, a Hedgesville, WV native, is a nationally recognized authority on Confederate guerrilla warfare in the eastern theatre. The author of more than 100 historical articles, his stories have appeared in numerous publications including The Washington Times, Gettysburg Magazine, and Crossfire: The Magazine of the American Civil War Round Table U.K. French’s writing awards include: the 2008 Bachelder-Coddington Award, the 2009 Gettysburg Civil War Round Table Book Award, the Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal, and the Hagerstown Civil War Round Table’s 2016 Henry Kyd Douglas Award. He is the current President of the Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table. French will have some of his books for sale.
There is no admission fee, but donations are accepted and appreciated toward Allison-Antrim Museum’s annual speaker series. For more information, please call 717-597-9010, visit the website at www.greencastlemuseum.org, or follow us on Facebook at Greencastlemuseum.