<p>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. Local militia, made up of inexperienced schoolboys, convalescing wounded soldiers, and untested but valiant Black troops, took positions west of Wrightsville. General Early's men were battle-hardened, and easily outnumbered the inexperienced defenders. Easily out gunned, the Federals were to prevent the Southerners from crossing the bridge. 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.</p>

Fire on the River: The Defense of the World's Longest Covered Bridge And How It Changed the Battle of Gettysburg

History

Sheldon, George

Americas

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Fire on the River: The Defense of the World's Longest Covered Bridge And How It Changed the Battle of Gettysburg