On the eve of the Civil War, York District was one of the more populated districts in Upstate South Carolina. In 1860, there were 4,379 white males in York County. There were 14 infantry companies formed in York County after war was declared. Of the 4,379 white males enlisted, 805 were killed and hundreds more were wounded. As a result, York District had the highest death rate of any county in South Carolina. Only one minor battle was fought in the York District, the battle for the Catawba Bridge at Nations Ford in 1865.