ARMY OPERATI' 



141 



Preparations for moving the main body of the 

 Federal army had commenced at daylight, and 

 shortly after the whole army was advancing 

 rapidly toward the mountains followed by the 

 ambulances, artillery, and baggage wagons. 

 Middletown was reached with ease, beyond 

 which was now the scene of conflict. As they 

 approached the field the long black lines of in- 

 fantrv were halted and opened to make way for 

 the artillery and ammunition trains which ad- 

 vanced to their positions. 



The battle of South Mountain really com- 

 menced at a bridge over Catoctin Creek half a 

 mile west of Middletown, where Confederate 

 artillery had been posted to dispute the pas- 

 Dislodged from this position it re- 

 treated to a stronger one up the mountain side. 

 The main body was massed on wooded bluffs 

 to the right and left for a distance of more than 

 two miles. On the right of Turner's Gap they 

 were stormed out of their stronghold by Gen. 

 Burnside's corps. Gen. Cox's Kanawha division 

 in Gen. Reno's corps, attacked and carried the 

 crest on the left of the gap. Of this division, 

 the 23d Ohio, known as the "psalm singers of 

 the Western Reserve," here came in contact 

 with the 23d South Carolina, and the encounter 

 was most stormy. So desperate were the Caro- 

 linians in the fight that before a single man sur- 

 rendered he would beat his gun against a rock 

 or tree to render it useless to his enemy ^ The 

 Kanawha division was supported by the divi- 

 sions of Gens. Wilcox. Rodman, and Sturgess. 

 After very severe fighting they repulsed several 

 attacks of the enemy, and retained entire pos- 

 session of the crest. About 3 p. M., Gen. Hooker 

 attacked the heights on the right of the pass, 

 the Pennsylvania reserves leading, and after a 

 desperate resistance carried the crest about 

 dark, and held it. Shortly before dark Gen. 

 Gibbon's brigade of Gen. Hooker's corps, at- 

 tacked by the main road, and after an obstinate 

 conflict gained the entrance to the pass some 

 tune after dark. Only by a display of equal 

 valor in all the other regiments, and often at 

 close quarters, was the enemy driven over 

 the crest of the mountain into the valley on 

 the west side of the South Mountain. In the 

 centre and on the left, equally desperate was 

 the battle. A severe fire of artillery had been 

 opened all along the front. Under cover of 

 this, the infantry advanced, and poured in a 

 fire of musketry ; this continued until 3 o'clock 

 p. M. when the battle raged at its height. Suc- 

 cess being soon gained on the right, desperate 

 charges were made with the bayonet before 

 which the Confederate troops wavered, broke, 

 and fell back in confusion. The loss sustain- 

 ed by the Union forces was 2,325 killed and 

 wounded. Among the killed was Gen. Reno, 

 who was shot through the body. Turner's Gap, 

 where the last desperate stand of the Confed- 

 erate force on the right was made, is two miles 

 from the base of the mountain. Six miles 

 south is Crampton's Gap, through which passes 

 the road from Jefferson to Roherville. This 



strong position on the left was carried by Gen. 

 Franklin's corps, after a succession of brilliant 

 bayonet charges. Gen. Franklin had followed 

 the line of the Potomac closely. On Satur- 

 day he reached Sugar Loaf Mountain, and 

 drove out the Confederate cavalry occupy- 

 ing it for a signal station. On Sunday, he 

 passed through the small village of Burkits- 

 ville, and advanced about a mile, when he met 

 the Confederate pickets at the South Mountain 

 range, and near Crampton's Gap. The gap 

 was strongly held by a Confederate force un- 

 der Gen. Howell Cobb, and his artillery im- 

 mediately opened fire upon the Federal ad- 

 vance, which was under the command of Gen. 

 Slocum. The division of Gen. Slocum consist- 

 ed of three brigades under Gens. Bartlett, Tor- 

 litt, and Xewton. These were formed in line 

 of battle and ordered to advance up the side 

 of the mountain. They had proceeded only a 

 short distance before they came under the fire 

 of a strong Confederate force concealed behind 

 a stone wall running along the base of the gap. 

 At this point a desperate hand to hand fight 

 ensued which lasted nearly an hour, when 

 the Confederate troops were routed. They 

 did not attempt to make a stand again until 

 they reached the crest of the mountain, where 

 they turned and prepared to hold the Federal 

 advance at bay. It came rushing up, composed 

 of Xew Jersey. Xew York, and Pennsylvania 

 regiments, until the top of the mountain was 

 gained, when another bloody struggle ensued. 

 The Confederate force finally gave way and 

 fell back in disorder down into the valley, 

 leaving four hundred prisoners, three regi- 

 mental colors, two pieces of artillery, and 

 three thousand stand of ^arrns. The Federal 

 u this affair was one hundred and five 

 killed, and four hundred and forty-eight wound- 

 ed. The Confederate loss was still larger. 

 The seizure of this gap exposed the flank of 

 Gen. Lee's army, and brought the Federal left 

 into Pleasant Valley, and within five miles of 

 Harper's Ferry. That night the Federal army 

 occupied the battle ground^ and the Confederate 

 army fell behind Antietam Creek and took a 

 position admirably adapted for defence. 



Meantime the Federal garrison at "Winchester 

 and Martinsburg had been ordered to Harper's 

 Ferry, and the commanding officer at that post 

 had been advised to confine his defence, in case 

 he was attacked by a superior force, mainly to 

 the position of Maryland Heights, which could 

 be held a long time against overwhelming 

 numbers. A large amount of artillery and stores 

 had been collected at Harper's Ferry by the 

 Federal Government, which it would have been 

 necessary to destroy or leave to the enemy if 

 the troops there had been withdrawn. It was 

 therefore determined by the general-in-chief 

 (Halleck) to hold the position until Gen. Mc- 

 Clellan could relieve it, or open communication 

 so that it could be evacuated in safety. 



On Friday, the 12th of September, two days 

 before the battle of South Mountain, the Confed- 



