Manchester is a town of deep history in southern Pennsylvania. During the Civil War, it was the site of some of the confederacy’s furthest incursions into union territory on the way to their high water mark at Gettysburg. In 1903, Michael Gross, who was around for the rebel invasion, recalled his experience for the York Daily. Check out what he said here!
Key Takeaways:
- As Major General Jubal Early’s Confederate soldiers reached Weigelstown, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1863, Early dispatched Colonel French’s 17th Virginia Cavalry eastward through York County.
- After chasing off elements of the defending 20th Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia, the Virginians soaked the strategically important bridges liberally with coal oil and then set them on fire.
- Forty years later, in the summer of 1903, aged resident Michael Gross, sat on his front porch in the borough and recounted incidents from the invasion to local historian George R. Prowell.
“Forty years later, in the summer of 1903, aged resident Michael Gross, sat on his front porch in the borough and recounted incidents from the invasion to local historian George R. Prowell.”
http://www.yorkblog.com/cannonball/2016/09/06/manchester-resident-recalled-rebel-invasion/
