Cannonball

One of John Gordon’s Georgians left a brief anecdote from his passage through York. This has not appeared in print since the 19th Century, I believe, when it was in a newspaper. Here is Private G. F. Agee’s account…

“After spending the night just out of town, we, then, on the next morning took the road to York and the Susquehanna river. Passing through York, and when about midway, the street was lined from end to end with citizens, both men and women, as though there were no war going on. A gentlemen stepped up to me and asked what troops we were. I told him we were Stonewall Jackson’s foot cavalry…
Leaving York, the next point of interest was Wrightsville, on the banks of the Susquehanna. Here the militia made a stand and threw up a strong breastwork. They exchanged a few shots with the sharpshooters, but three shots from one of our little cannon put them in rapid flight, and we were in possession of the yankees, setting the bridge on fire as they crossed over. We spent the night at this little town. The next morning we began to retrace our steps, and started back to Gettysburg. We spent the first night some few miles west of York.”