Wrightsville: February 2009 Archives

Colonel Jacob G. Frick was one of the most prominent citizens of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in Schuylkill County, the heart of the coal-mining region. He was a Medal of Honor winner for gallantry in action during the American Civil War, a wealthy businessman, and a civic-minded family man. Frick spent several days here in York County, Pennsylvania, during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, and his actions in leading the defense of the mile-long covered bridge over the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville significantly influenced the course of the campaign and thwarted the Confederate crossing of the river into Lancaster County.

Often overlooked by historians, Colonel Frick also played important roles in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, for which he was later awarded the Medal of Honor.

Who was this man?

Dale Gallon is among my favorite Civil War artists. One of the most prolific of the modern generation of ACW artists, Gallon maintains an impressive gallery and retail store in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Steinwehr Avenue. Limited edition art prints of the painting shown above may be purchased there either framed or unframed. Gallon's visually interesting work shows newly appointed Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer in his first battle action after being promoted from captain. His Wolverines of Company E, 6th Michigan Cavalry are armed with 7-shot Spencer Repeating Rifles and are deployed as skirmishers in a lush field near Hanover, in southwestern York County, Pennsylvania. The action depicted is from the afternoon fighting at the June 30, 1863, Battle of Hanover.

Gallon is not the only famous painter to depict York County Civil War subjects.

I stumbled onto this story recently. I did not include it in Flames Beyond Gettysburg, because the book was already too far along in the editorial process to make changes.

George Small of York, a retired engineer on the pension roll of the Northern Central Railroad, and one of the best known residents of York, died suddenly on Wednesday, May 8, from neuralgia of the heart, aged 80 years. His wife, four sons and three daughters survive him. At the time of the Southern occupation of York, Small was given charge of a train of valuables and ordered to escape across the river. At Wrightsville, Small removed the stack of the engine and carried out his mission, despite that he was pursued and fired upon by cavalry.

New Oxford Item, May 16, 1907.

Small was likely the engineer of the Northern Central Railway's June 28, 1863, train that carried Granville Haller's militia and the York Invalids to York, along with the telegrapher and his equipment. Perhaps there were other "valuables" on board. We have other sources that confirm the 17th Virginia Cavalry fired shots at the last train from York; one of the military hospital patients who was on board recorded that Rebel cavalry was onb the heights beyond the railroad tracks and fired a few shots at long range.

Removing the smokestack would have been common practice as the locomotives were hauled across the bridge by mule power. The trains were not allowed to cross under power because of fears that sparks from the smokestacks would set the bridge on fire.

I am now accepting orders for my latest book, Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863 from Ironclad Publishing. Please see my website for this new book for details and a photo gallery of more than 100 pictures associated with the book and the historical locations and personages featured in Flames Beyond Gettysburg. I accept PayPal, personal checks, and money orders for this book. A portion of the proceeds will go for battlefield preservation efforts.

Copies of the book will be on sale at my upcoming talks at the York CWRT at the York Heritage Trust on March 18 and at the Greater Dover Historical Society on March 19. As soon as I know when my large shipment is coming in, we plan a talk and formal reception at the York Emporium (more details to come once Jim Lewin and I work out the details for this formal introduction of the book, and I am hoping to have some guests lined up for that event).