Less than a century after York’s stint as
National Capital, Hanover – a borough in the southwestern part
of the county – bore witness to a cavalry clash that helped to
change the outcome of the battle in Gettysburg.
In 1863, York became the largest town north of the
Mason-Dixon Line to be occupied by the Confederate Army. In
order to prevent the troops from proceeding deeper into
Pennsylvania, Union soldiers retreated across a covered bridge
spanning the Susquehanna River, burning it after they reached
the Lancaster County side. After the fire spread across the
bridge and jumped to buildings in Wrightsville, Confederate
soldiers stood alongside residents helping to douse the flames.
The first Civil War battle on Pennsylvania soil, The Battle
of Hanover, occurred in southwestern York County on June 30,
1863. The cavalry skirmish played a vital role in the Union’s
victory at Gettysburg. Confederate General Robert E. Lee
directed his cavalry, led by General J.E.B. Stuart, to converge
with Lee’s troops in Pennsylvania, hoping to capture the
railroad center at Harrisburg. While passing through the Borough
of Hanover, they unexpectedly ran into Union troops under the
direction of General Judson Kilpatrick and General George
Armstrong Custer. A daylong battle ensued, resulting in the
deaths of hundreds of soldiers on both sides and the capture of
Confederate Colonel William Payne, commander of the 2nd
North Carolina. As the day wore on, Stuart sensed that he was at
a disadvantage, and decided to withdrawal his troops toward
York. Eventually, he ended up in Carlisle, and learned of the
impending battle in Gettysburg. As a result of the Battle of
Hanover, General Lee had lost the use of his "eyes and
ears," and was forced to being the battle without his
cavalry. Many historians believe this is one of the major
factors contributing to the Union victory.
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