It is late June 1863 in southern Pennsylvania. The Confederates are invading the North, and one of their toughest and most cantankerous generals has decided to capture the grand covered bridge that spans the Susquehanna from Wrightsville to Columbia. From there, General Jubal Early plans to capture Lancaster, and then seize the state's capital, Harrisburg. General Early had orders to destroy it, but intended to capture it on his way to siege the North. Fire on the River tells the story that is often described as a mere skirmish in most history books. What happened in the tiny village of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1863, changes the course of the Civil War. Here is the story that for so long has been overlooked in the history books. It is an amazing story of courage, and perhaps not surprisingly, how the U.S. Congress never compensated the bridge's owner for the loss, yet the burning of the covered bridge probably saved the Union. [from Amazon.com]
The history of northeastern Pennsylvania : the last 100 years : proceedings of the twelfth annual Conference on the History of Northeastern Pennsylvania
The fourth book in a series of photographic histories of the county illustrates how Lancastrians participated in times of war. From the Civil War to the Iraq war , from the homefront to the trenches, whether gathering scrap or going off to foreign lands.
"Produced for Rivertownes PA USA in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge on 28 June 1863, this program narrates the dramatic story of the bridge's destruction and details the valiant attempt of an outnumbered detachment of raw Union militia to halt the advance of Confederate Brigadier General John Gordon's determined veteran infantry."
Also "introduces the poignant, very risky participation of a company of free blacks from Columbia."
Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, v. 109, no. 1 (Spring 2007).
Notes
Continues : Lancaster County ommunities : Abbeville to Bettlehausen (v. 105, no. 3 Fall 2003) ; Lancaster County communities : Byerland to Cordelia Post Office (v. 106, no. 1, Spring/summer 2004) ; Lancaster County communities : Coulter's Corner to Frogtown (v. 106, no. 2, Fall 2004) ; Lancaster County communities : Fruitville to Guthrie's Ford (v. 106, no. 3, Winter 2004) ; Lancaster County communities : Gypsy Hill to Indiantown (v. 106, no. 4, Spring 2005) ; Lancaster County communities : Intercourse to Landis Valley (v. 107, no. 1, Summer 2005) ; Lancaster County communities : Landisville to Marietta Junction (v. 107, no. 2, Fall 2005) ; Lancaster County communities : Mars Hill to New Haven (v. 107, no. 3, Winter 2005) ; Lancaster County communities : New Holland to Oreville (v. 107, no. 4, Winter 2005-2006) ; Lancaster County communities : Oyster Point to Pickadila (v. 108, no. 1, Spring 2006) ; Lancaster County communities : Pigeontown to Rohrerstown (v. 108, no. 2, Summer 2006) ; Lancaster County communities : Rome to Slate Hill (v. 108, no. 4 Winter 2006-2007).
Historic structures Survey and Determination of Eligibility Report : East Lampeter, Leacock, Strasburg, Paradise, Salisbury, and Sadsbury Townships, Lancaster County, Pensylvania
The third book in a series of photographic histories of the county highlights how Lancastrians had fun and spent their leisure time from the late 1800s to 1970. Its chapters cover a wide range of subjects-from amusement parks to swimming holes to movie theaters to athletic events.
