On the
morning of October 10, 1862, J.E.B. Stuart
and his elite cavalry raided the town of Mercersburg.
With approximately
1,800 mounted cavalry and four 12-pounders
the Confederates "commanded" the
town square and emptied the shelves of local
merchants. By afternoon they were gone, taking
with them nine members of the greater Mercersburg
community. All escaped or were released except
one, who died in Libby prison.
The raid,
on the surface, had only minor military importance
and would have gone largely unnoticed except
for the fact that the raid through Pennsylvania
(behind Union lines) so embarrassed President
Lincoln that he "fired" the Commander
of the Union Army, Major General George McClellan.
Some historian's
postulate, had McClellan headed the Army a
year later at the battle of Gettysburg, the
outcome might have been different and the
Union's ultimate success in doubt.
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In October
2002, Mercersburg is planning to commemorate
the "140th Anniversary of J.E.B. Stuart's
Raid on Mercersburg".
The centerpiece
of this event is three Historical Paintings
portraying the events of the raid.
In addition,
the event will include a reenactment, a Remembrance
Ball, and a Civil War Forum.
The Commemoration
of this event is in keeping with Mercersburg's
continuing efforts to build awareness, within
and without the community, of our rich multifaceted
Historical legacy. In the process, we hope
to establish Mercersburg's rightful place
in Pennsylvania's "Civil War" History.
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Reenactors
Informaton
Event
Details
Civil
War Memorial Roll Call
Historical
Perspective on Stuart's Raid through Mercersburg
and its significance in the outcome of the
Civil War
After
the Raid -- A Prisoner's Personal Account
