Sachs Covered Bridge
by Debra Fedchin
Title
Sachs Covered Bridge
Artist
Debra Fedchin
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The Sachs Covered Bridge was built around 1854 at a cost of $1,544. On July 1, 1863, the bridge was crossed by the two brigades of the I Corps of the Union Army heading towards Gettysburg. The III Corps also crossed the bridge heading to the Black Horse Tavern.Four days later, the majority of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia retreated over the bridge after the Union victory in the Battle of Gettysburg.
The bridge was designated Pennsylvania's "most historic bridge" in 1938 by the predecessor of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Department of Highways. After a plan in 1960 to replace the bridge, the Cumberland Township officials voted to close the bridge to vehicular traffic, while leaving it open to pedestrians, on May 9, 1968. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1980.
On June 19, 1996, a flash flood knocked the bridge from one of its abutments and it incurred substantial damage; an iron bridge on the Marsh Creek was also heavily damaged and another destroyed. A $500,000 restoration on the bridge was already in progress before the flood; an additional $100,000 was raised to repair the damage incurred. The bridge was rededicated on July 21, 1997.
As are most things associated with the American Civil War, the haunted Sachs Covered Bridge is yet another on the long list of haunted structures found in Pennsylvania. Used by both Confederate and Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg, the Sachs bridge served as the execution site for at least three Southern soldiers, providing the backdrop for the otherworldly activity said to take place there.
When the Battle of Gettysburg broke out in July of 1863, the town of Gettysburg was turned upside down by the brutality that permeated the land. Since a vast majority of Union and Confederate soldiers were young men, there were instances that saw some of them attempt to abandon their posts and go into hiding.
One such occasion involved three Confederate troops who tried to evade the war by donning Union attire. Marching with the North near Sachs Covered Bridge, they were soon discovered as belonging to the South and were promptly made an example.
It’s argued as to whether they were spies, deserters, or outright traitors. Regardless, the three young men were hanged from the bridge’s wooden support beams, ensuring that any Confederates passing through would see the executed men, thereby serving as a warning.
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November 16th, 2020
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