- Joined
- Mar 11, 2009
- Location
- York, Pennsylvania
I am a York County PA historian and scientist. My sons and I have been researching this county's role in the Gettysburg Campaign, and I wrote a couple articles that appeared in past issues of The Gettysburg Magazine concerning Stuart's Ride and Early's occupation of York, the largest Northern town to surrender to the Confederacy.
My latest book deals with Early's expedition and the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge. Early contradicted himself a few times in his post-war writings, but in essence, his orders to seize the massive covered bridge at Wrightsville turned, in his mind, into an authorization for a raid on Lancaster PA and a chance to take his division up the east bank of the Susquehanna River and attack Harrisburg from the rear while Ewell demonstrated in the front at Lemoyne, PA.
While it remains pure speculation what Early would have accomplished by crossing into Lancaster County (he would have put more distance between himself and Hill's Corps, which had been ordered to march to York before the recall orders came from Lee), one can only imagine the Northern press's reaction to the threat of the Louisiana Tigers and the rest of Early's veteran division running loose in Harrisburg's rear.
State militia burned the bridge to prevent Early's lead brigade, that of John B. Gordon, from crossing the mile-wide, rain-swollen river.
My latest book deals with Early's expedition and the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge. Early contradicted himself a few times in his post-war writings, but in essence, his orders to seize the massive covered bridge at Wrightsville turned, in his mind, into an authorization for a raid on Lancaster PA and a chance to take his division up the east bank of the Susquehanna River and attack Harrisburg from the rear while Ewell demonstrated in the front at Lemoyne, PA.
While it remains pure speculation what Early would have accomplished by crossing into Lancaster County (he would have put more distance between himself and Hill's Corps, which had been ordered to march to York before the recall orders came from Lee), one can only imagine the Northern press's reaction to the threat of the Louisiana Tigers and the rest of Early's veteran division running loose in Harrisburg's rear.
State militia burned the bridge to prevent Early's lead brigade, that of John B. Gordon, from crossing the mile-wide, rain-swollen river.