Civil War-era re-enactors to converge on Cass County community in March

Cass County's largest Civil War reenactment ever will feature "The Burning of Dayton" on March 29 and 30 just outside the present-day town of Dayton, Mo. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime event when twelve structures built to represent the Civil War era town will be put to the torch on Sunday afternoon.

Hundreds of Union and Confederate re-enactors will provide visitors on both days with the chance to experience life in a Civil War encampment. Activities on Saturday will feature drills by infantry, cavalry and artillery along with a hospital demonstration in the Medical Camp. General Order Number 11 will be issued at 1 p.m. Troops will then participate in battle at 2 p.m.

Saturday afternoon will include a women's fashion show and Tea and a "Talking Tombstones" tour of the Dayton Cemetery. The evening highlight will be a period dance with the "South Fork String Band" providing music and instruction for all ages.

Various storytellers and living history scenarios will provide stories of life during the Civil War on the Border both Saturday and Sunday. Period sutlers, craftsmen, blacksmiths and demonstrators will share their skills and goods for visitors both days.

Sunday afternoon at 1, some 300 participants will stage a battle re-enactment of the July 9, 1862, fight in Cass County between 250 of Quantrill's men and Union troops which took place on the Lotspeich Farm north of present-day Creighton.

Shortly following the battle scene, the rebuilt town of Dayton will be put to the torch. Reenacting what actually happened on Jan. 1, 1862, when Jennison's Seventh Kansas Cavalry Jayhawkers and 200 soldiers under the command of Daniel Anthony burned 46 of the 47 buildings in Dayton upon learning that Confederates had been recruiting there.

The Dayton reenactment is t10 miles south of Garden City at the intersection of State Route F and State Route B. The hosting unit is Garden City's 10th Missouri Infantry, Confederate States of America, and the sponsoring organization is the Cass County Civil War Roundtable.

This event is a Maximum Effort Event sanctioned by The Missouri Civil War re-enactors Association. All activities are free and open to the public.

Free parking also will be available.

For additional information contact Jackie Roberts at (816) 884-6285 or Carol Bohl (816) 380-4396 or visit the Web site at www.burningdayton.org.