Colonel Henry Bossert Memorial Bridge dedicated in Bald Eagle Township
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – As if on cue, the rain stopped and the sun came out at the end of Sunday’s Colonel Henry M. Bossert Memorial Bridge dedication ceremony at a site along Bald Eagle Creek where the late colonel, a Civil War hero, had spent much of his adult life.
Colonel Bossert was born in Sunbury in 1825 and passed away in Westport in 1892. But in between he was a prominent citizen of the Bald Eagle valley/Mill Hall area and, as described by state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, “an American hero” for his service in the Civil War.
The colonel’s history was beautifully painted by his great-granddaughter, Susan Bossert Hannegan, who now resides in the old Bossert homestead just upstream from the site of the Sunday ceremony and the nearby bridge.
As related by his great-granddaughter, Col. Bossert served two stints in the Civil War, commanding two brigades for the Army of the Potomac, until injured in battle in 1863, and returning to Clinton County due to obligations as a county elected official.
His history included graduation from Lafayette College in Easton, time as a teacher, a justice of the peace from 1849-1860, and the Clinton County Register of Wills/Recorder of Deeds/Clerk of the Orphans Court from 1861-64.
Col. Bossert commanded troops in multiple Civil War battles, from defense of Harper’s Ferry to the Battle of Antietam and the pursuit of Stuart’s cavalry in Pennsylvania and Maryland. He also commanded a provisional brigade comprised of six regiments to guard the landing and railroad leading to Fredericksburg from Dec. 31, 1862 to Jan. 20, 1863.
Mrs. Hannegan noted that Col. Bossert had often traveled across the old wooden bridge that crossed Bald Eagle Creek near the site of the current structure which now carries his name.
Mrs. Hannegan, with a life-long interest in local history, concluded with, “As we reflect upon the life and legacy of Col. Bossert, let us strive to carry forward his legacy by championing causes that are greater than ourselves, as he did, and by using our own talents and our abilities to make a positive impact on the world.”
“In closing, l would ask all veterans to please stand, if able to do so. May this bridge be a tribute not only to one person, one veteran, but to all veterans who have committed their lives to protect the freedoms that we treasure so dearly.”
The program ended with Col. Bossert’s great-great-great grandchildren reciting the Gettysburg Address, followed by the Retiring of the Colors from the Jersey Shore Honor Guard and the playing of taps.
Mayor Tom Bossert (a great-grandson of the colonel and like him for a former district justice) emceed the program which attracted hundreds of people at the boat launch area along Bald Eagle Creek. Other speakers, in addition to Rep. Borowicz, were state Sen. Cris Dush and US Congressman Glenn Thompson.
