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About 10,000 people went to the commemorative =91burning=92 of = the=20 Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge.

By SCOT D. CELLEY

Daily Record correspondent

Monday, June 30, 2003

order=20 photo reprint

Christopher Glass - = YDR

Volunteer Chuck Storm uses a torch to = light a=20 basket of firewood on an old bridge support Saturday evening = in the=20 Susquehanna River to commemorate the 140th anniversary of = the day=20 Union supporters burned down the bridge connecting = Wrightsville and=20 Columbia. The move prevented Confederate forces from = crossing into=20 Lancaster County. For the re-enactment, three boats of = volunteers=20 spent about two hours climbing up and down the 25 remaining = supports=20 to light baskets of wood for boaters and pedestrians who = came out to=20 relive part of York and Lancaster counties' Civil War = history.

bigger = version=20 & more photos=20 (2)

Organizers of = the=20 commemoration of the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge = over the=20 Susquehanna River had hoped 10,000 people would show up.

Saturday night, the coordinator of re-enactors and living = history at=20 the event, Lenny Droege of Marietta, looked out on the crowd. = =93Does it=20 look like 10,000 to you?=94 he asked.

Claire Storm of Columbia, the president of Rivertownes PA USA,=20 confirmed Sunday that it was indeed about 10,000 that took in the = event.

That includes the 5,000 or so who crowded on the Veterans = Memorial=20 Bridge to watch the fires, the others who watched from both = shores, and=20 those who attended the concerts, speeches and Civil War = encampments.

After the capture of York in 1863, a Confederate brigade under = General=20 Gordon came to Wrightsville with the intention of capturing a = mile-long=20 covered bridge over the Susquehanna River.

The burning of the bridge effectively kept the Confederate Army = of=20 Northern Virginia on the western bank of the Susquehanna River and = away=20 from the Pennsylvania coal mines, Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

Beginning with a shot from one of Lancaster Mayor Charlie = Smithgall=92s=20 cannons, large fires in steel braziers on 25 of the stone supports = that=20 run parallel to the Veterans Memorial Bridge were lit.

It was well after 10 p.m. Saturday before all the fires were = lit. The=20 flames of some of the fires could be seen to be over 10 feet tall.

The whole purpose of the event, said Storm, was to shine a = spotlight on=20 the river=92s historical heritage.

=93We didn=92t want it to be a rock concert atmosphere,=94 = Storm said. =93We=20 wanted to be a tribute to those who put into action their belief = all men=20 should be free=94 by burning the bridge and preventing the = Confederate=20 forces from crossing the river.

The next item on Rivertownes=92 agenda is to do a comprehensive = study=20 done of Wrightsville, Marietta and Columbia.

Future possibilities include reopening the Susquehanna Canal = along the=20 riverbank in Wrightsville, restoring buildings and even ferry = boats on the=20 river.

=93This event (on Saturday) is just one part of our history,=94 = Storm said.=20 =93We=92re hoping to move this area forward, but not forget the = past. Last=20 night was the first step in that.=94

Sue Smith of Wrightsville looked at the fires burning Saturday. = She=20 said her family probably lived in the town when it was under = Confederate=20 occupation, and remembers growing up in the riverside town.

=93I think we had a little part in history,=94 Smith said. =93I = think this=20 should put Wrightsville on the map.=94


Local News >> =

ONLINE = TODAY

Local: Holiday = travel=20 warnings
Sports: Hershey = Bears=20 introduce new head coach
Business: Patrolling the=20 Susquehanna
Living: Just Jell-O = not=20 enough
Opinion: County's = arteries=20 clogging fast

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=B7 No-helmet law = passes=20 House=20

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=B7 FIRST MOVE: = Line moves=20 from library=20

(Jul 2, = 2003)

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