York Town Square

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Slain Gettysburg officer with famous tooth never in York County

Was Lt. William Daniel, the rebel officer slain at Gettysburg whose tooth made the news recently, ever in York County? See soldier’s tooth found.
Scott Mingus, author of a soon-to-be-published “The Gordon Expedition, Flames Beyond Gettysburg,” says no. See human interest stories.
But the man who came up with the tooth, William T. King, was here… .


Here’s the author’s account:

“I mention Mr. King (and his wife and children) in my “Flames Beyond Gettysburg” book. He was a member of Robert Bell’s Adams County Cavalry during the Gettysburg Campaign, and slept at the York fairgrounds after retreating from Gettysburg after Bell was chased from town on the 26th. King and his comrades patrolled the roads west of York until they retired to Wrightsville, where they engaged in scouting the roads in that region.
Following (Jubal) Early’s retirement to Adams County and the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg, King and his fellow cavalrymen again patrolled western York County before entering Gettysburg after the battle.”

Daniel was a part of Kershaw’s South Carolina Brigade. The unit was never in York County.
Because of the discovery, Daniel will now be given a proper burial.
To read about the tooth’s eventual burial place, click here.