JH: There is no question that South Mountain was a Union victory, in the tactical sense. Because of the terrain and because the battle was so spread outI like to say the battle was fought on three islands, separated by miles from one anotherit is also sometimes difficult to get a sense of the entirety of the action. Please enable JavaScript in your browser. [12], To preserve Zutphen's garrison, Farnese gathered enough food to feed 4,000 men for three months in the towns of Groenlo, Oldenzaal, Lingen and Mnster. This very detailed map shows South Mountain, Turner's and Fox's gaps, and their relationships to Boonsboro and Frost town, Md. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearMiddletown in Washington County, Maryland , Battle at South Mountain. JH: At its most basic level, the Army of the Potomac was attempting to force its way across the mountain in order to carry out George McClellans instructions of cutting the enemy in two and beating him in detail. Lees forces, on the other hand, were simply trying to prevent this from happening. Following his stunning victory at Second Bull Run, Lee invaded the North for the first time. [3] The first Euromerican land grant west of South Mountain by Maryland was William Park's "Park Hall" in 1731 near Crampton's gap. Battle of South Mountain - September 14, 1862 - American Battlefield Trust My passion is the the Civil War. The escapees traveled by night and spent the days in cold camps among the densest thickets they could find along the remote ridge top. Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide (This Hallowed Ground: Guides to Civil War Battlefields), Confrontation at Gettysburg: A Nation Saved, A Cause Lost (Civil War Series), Before Antietam: The Battle for South Mountain, Unholy Sabbath: The Battle of South Mountain in History and Memory, September 14, 1862, The Battle of Antietam: The Bloodiest Day (Civil War Series), Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, No Import Fees Deposit & $10.97 Shipping to Netherlands. The Civil War had begun. Most importantly, however, I decided to write on South Mountain because it has long remained one of those understudied battles of the Civil War, languishing for so long in the shadow of Antietam. There are some portions of it that are a little difficult to navigate. Meanwhile, Captain Benteen had returned after finding no evidence of Indians or their movement to the south. When visiting the battlefield today, it is sometimes impossible to imagine that soldiers actually fought there. And South Mountain, which divided Maryland from north to south, provided a defensive wall that would allow a small rear guard to shelter Lees other operations. Copyright Maryland.gov. Did your research of the battle produce any new opinions or subjects of interest related to South Mountain? Bring Packs. A Natural Barrier. Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2011. Of course they did not, which forced Lee to alter his campaign by dividing his forces. Book: The Battle of South Mountain | American Battlefield Trust , The Battle of South Mountain erupted on September 14, 1862, when elements of the Union army tried to drive the Confederate rear guard from Cramptons, Foxs, and Turners Gaps and break through to the western side of the mountain to attack Confederates there. By January 20, the food shortage had become acute enough that Pickens was under criticism from moderates and sent food to the fort, which was refused by Anderson. The only deficiency is none of the maps show Fox's Gap. Shiloh, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettsyburg, the Wilderness . At Fort Sumter, This Bizarre, Floating Contraption Helped Start the Civil War. Frederick County and Washington County, MD | Sep 14, 1862 On September 14, 1862, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan met Gen. Robert E. Lee 's divided army at the Battle of South Mountain. Lee was not concerned at what would normally be considered a dangerous dispersion of his forces. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. President Lincoln used this partial victory to issue his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. For the 1591 Anglo-Dutch victory, see, Lewes Lewkenor. I have read many novels, non fiction, memoirs, etc. Strange as it sounds, growing up as I did studying the Civil War, even from my earliest days I have felt something of an attachment to the Battle of South Mountain simply because I was born on the same day on which it was fought, September 14. 191with Longstreets forces near Hagerstown and Jacksons at Harpers Ferryand with McClellan advancing rapidly from Frederick, Lee was forced to defend the mountain. There was little time for setting up proper defenses and becoming familiar with the terrain. 1862 North and South clash at the Battle of South Mountain General Robert E. Lee 's exhausted Confederate forces hold off the pursuing Yankees by closing two passes through Maryland's South. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was appointed as the Governor-General of the Netherlands and sent there in command of an English army to support the Dutch rebels. P.O. Regarding Confederate leadership, it should be remembered that Lee never once set foot on the battlefield, the injuries to his hands prevented him from doing so. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. The Department of Natural Resources leads Maryland in securing a sustainable future for our environment, society, and economy by preserving, protecting, restoring, and enhancing the States natural resources. Did Robert E. Lee choose South Mountain as a place to give battle? The locations of roads and buildings, many identified by owner, are included. What was the solider experience like at this battle? As the carters fled at the beginning of the fight, the Spanish arquebusiers had to take their places and brought the wagons towards Zutphen. He was informed that was not soon enough, firing would began at 4:30 a.m. After a signal gun was fired, Virginia fire-eater Edmund Ruffin, who had campaigned relentlessly through the 1850s for states rights, slavery, and secession, was given the honor of firing the first shot at Fort Sumter. I am glad there are those who have taken the time and interest in the different battles of the Civil war to research and write about them. Mapping the Civil War: Antietam and South Mountain Battles Crampton's Gap Maryland Campaign: Battle of South Mountain, September 14, 1862 At the southernmost point of the battle, near Burkittsville, Confederate cavalry and a small portion of Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws 's division defended Brownsville Pass and Crampton's Gap. What followed was basically a siege of Fort Sumter, with supplies and communication controlled by Pickens. While the narrative is strong and generally easy to read, there is a sticking point that becomes the proverbial fly in the soup. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Kings Mountain South Carolina | Oct 7, 1780 The Revolutionary War battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina proved to be a stinging defeat in the British attempt to secure control of the Southern colonies. The Battle of South Mountain was an opening salvo of sorts before Antietam, fought on September 14, 1862 among several mountain passes. To the east of the mountain was the town of Frederick, Maryland, less than 50 miles from Washington, D.C. [1] [30] According to John Lothrop Motley, "it is probable that the encounter would have been forgotten by posterity but by the melancholy close up upon that field to Sidney's bright career". At Fox's Gap, an assault by Eliakim Scammon's and George Crook 's brigades from Jacob Cox's division was initially successful and claimed the life of Garland, but lacked sufficient support. JH: As pointed out by my friend Dr. Thomas Clemens, an expert on the 1862 Maryland Campaign who recently edited Ezra Carmans exhaustive account of the campaign, the fighting at Foxs, Turners, and Frosttown Gaps was largely Ambrose Burnsides show. Kudos to John D. Hoptak for his excellent contribution in shedding additional light on this long overlooked battle. He found, on his arrival, that Counts Philip of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein and William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg had entrenched the army on a hillock along the right bank of the IJssel. Later on, he sent Verdugo back to Friesland and left Johann Baptista von Taxis in charge of Zutphen. When Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia marched into Maryland earlier in the month, he was looking for supplies and recruits for a possible invasion of Pennsylvania. The Battle of South Mountain: The History of the Civil War Battle that Zutphen was strategically important to Farnese, as it allowed his troops to levy war contributions in the rich Veluwe region. The Battle of South Mountain|Paperback - Barnes & Noble It was the first major battle fought north of the Potomac River. Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017. South Mountain | SpringerLink The intense Confederate artillery bombardment of Major Robert Anderson's small Union garrison in the unfinished fort in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, had been preceded by months of siege-like conditions. On seeing the flag of surrender, Beauregard ceased firing and sent his envoys to the fort, where they learned of Wigfalls unofficial mission. [17] The English soldiers, unlike the Dutch, were anxious to engage the Spanish troops. [4] On 18 September Leicester laid a pontoon bridge over the IJssel and took positions on the right bank of the river, thus encircling Zutphen. Three Maryland Civil War Trails Markers in the Inn's Parking Lot, Photographed By Craig Swain, June 9, 2007, Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, June 24, 2009, Markers are located in parking lot next to Old South Mountain Inn, via Maryland Department of Natural Resources, unknown, Maryland Department of Natural Resources website entry. Civil War Trust: John, your new book, The Battle of South Mountain, is a welcome addition for those who want to learn more about this important 1862 battle. The battle that would be fought therewas the bloodiest single day in American history, and the fight on South Mountain became a little-known prelude, remembered by a handful of monuments in the now-quiet woods. Who he fought with and who were his commanders and why they made the decisions they did. At the same time they were conversing, English troops unsuccessfully attacked Zutphen's sconce on the other side of the IJssel, which was defended by Count Herman van den Bergh with some men. [38] With the loss of Deventer and Zutphen's sconce, the Spanish were able to levy war contributions in the provinces of Utrecht, Overijssel and Gelderland. Following South Carolinas secession on December 20, 1860, Governor Francis Pickens was pressured to do something about Anderson and his men since many believed that Anderson would not stay at Fort Moultrie but would take a better position at another of the harbors forts. This book not only came in good time (about 3 days) and not like book rate. Count Hannibal Gonzaga and the Albanian captain George Crescia attacked the English on their own, without Del Vasto's orders. Nothing about this says caution to me. Crampton's Gap Battlefield at South Mountain, Maryland The day-long battle, it turned out, gave the Confederates just time enough . South Mountain begins at the Potomac River as a low, narrow ridge, barely one mile wide and only 1,200 feet (370m) above sea level at its crest. For those interested in walking in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers there are a couple of options available: Battle of Cramptons Gap Interpretive Trail Located at Gathland State Park on the mountainside below (east) of the War Correspondents Memorial. The same can be said when I travel to Burkittsville and travel along Mountain Church Road, where the main Confederate line defending Cramptons Gap was positioned. The intense Confederate artillery bombardment of Major Robert Andersons small Union garrison in the unfinished fort in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, had been preceded by months of siege-like conditions. [7] Leicester was in Deventer then, but on receiving news of Farnese's approach, he returned to Zutphen's camp. In his drive north across the Potomac, Robert E. Lee originally had no intention of defending the South Mountain passes; he, instead, wanted to draw the Army of the Potomac across and bring it to battle west of the mountain. Battle of Zutphen - Wikipedia It had been reassigned to McClellan, a slow and cautious commander that Lee knew and thoroughly understood. Beauregard began moving men and artillery into place and on April 11 and sent envoys to Fort Sumter to demand surrender. Please try again. He fought and was wounded at the Battle of South Mountain (September 15, 1862). 59022-0039, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. What are some of your favorite places to visit at South Mountain? 191, and it became especially critical for the outnumbered Confederates to hold South Mountain passes until Jackson completed his mission and rejoined them. I purchased this book after reading an absolutely glowing online review. Sergeant Eugene Beauge of Company G, 45th Pennsylvania in his later years. Lee divided his army in. As night fell, Anderson stopped firing and the Confederates reduced their fire but resumed it the next morning. In 1585, England signed the Treaty of Nonsuch with the States-General of the Netherlands and formally entered the war against Spain. [14] Del Vasto left part of his cavalry near Lochem to guard the rear of the convoy. This book was m y first read about South Mountain. Further, while Lee is often, and most of the time justifiably credited with an ability to read his opponents, during the campaign, he entirely misjudged McClellans rate of advance and had erroneously assumed that the Federal garrisons at Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry would obligingly flee with the movement of his army across the Potomac. However, as the hours ticked by the following morning, on Monday, September 15, the fruits of the Unions hard-won victory began to wither. As instructed by Custer, Major Reno crossed the river about two miles south of the village and began advancing downstream toward its southern end. "As I pulled my triggerthe line from Shakespeare's Tempest flitted across my brain: Hell is empty and all the devils are here." John Hoptak: There were several reasons. As commander of the right wing, Army of the Potomac, Burnside orchestrated an impressive double-envelopment of the Confederate position on the mountaintop, with Renos Ninth Corps attacking the Confederate right and Hookers men striking at the Confederate left, while John Gibbons famed black hat brigade probing the middle. The Battle of South Mountain was an opening salvo of sorts before Antietam, fought on September 14, 1862 among several mountain passes. Soldiers at the rear of Reno's fleeing command incurred heavy casualties as warriors galloped alongside the fleeing troops and shot them at close range, or pulled them out of their saddles onto the ground. Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, Sept. 14th, 1862 It was viewed as a boundary to the Susquehannock in their original treaty granting land to Maryland. [13] As the morning on 22 September was very misty, the English met the convoy before they expected. North and South clash at the Battle of South Mountain - HISTORY Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2020. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. [39] Zutphen and Deventer remained in Spanish control until their capture in 1591 by Maurice of Nassau. Unholy Sabbath: The Battle of South Mountain in History and Memory showing positions at Fox's and Turner's Gaps, Sept. 14th 1862. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. [34] He was not able to take the town, but succeeded in occupying several forts beyond the IJssel, including Zutphen's sconce, which was carried by surprise by Edward Stanley, brother of William Stanley, and 12 other soldiers. In a fierce day-long battle spread out across miles of rugged, mountainous terrain, McClellan defeated Lee but the Confederates did tie up the Federals long enough to allow Jackson's conquest of Harper's Ferry. How has the South Mountain battlefield changed since 1862? But then the Federals found a dropped copy of Special Orders No. JH: The South Mountain battlefields are certainly worth a visit; I urge everyone with an interest in the Civil War to head on out to these fields. Try again. Note the American Battlefield Trust website has great maps to assist you. All-encompassing sectional differences on the issue of slavery . Victorious at South Mountain, did McClellan and the Union Armymiss an opportunity to strike a divided Army of Northern Virginia before they actually met at Antietam on September 17th? [4] Famiano Strada increases these numbers to 3,000 infantry and 400 cavalry,[14] and Alonso Vzquez to about 8,000, many of them veteran Frisons under Count William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. [13] The 19th-century American historian John Lothrop Motley, on the other hand, reduces the strength of the English force to 200 cavalry and 300 pikemen, though adding that "a much stronger force of infantry was held in reserve and readiness". Of course, McClellan could not know where Lee was headed, but nonetheless did a good job in organizing the pursuit. Great coverage of a battle that was and is still overshadowed by Antietam. At 1:30 p.m., the flag was replaced with a white sheet. South Mountain State Battlefield is open daily 8:00am to sunset. In 1585, Queen Elizabeth I of England took the United Provinces of the Netherlands under her protection and signed the Treaty of Nonsuch with the States-General. South Mountain Battle Facts and Summary - American Battlefield Trust Within the past few years, there has been a partnership established between the South Mountain State Battlefield and the Antietam National Battlefield. Large numbers of warriors approaching from that direction forced the cavalry to withdraw to Reno Hill where the Indians held them under siege from the afternoon of June 25, until dusk on June 26. [11] While the siege continued, he marched to Lingen with his army to intercept a corps of reiters who were being recruited in Germany under Elizabeth I's orders. [23] The English cavalry, in the meantime, charged over the Spanish pikes on one of its flanks. The Spanish cavalry opened the way followed by a battalion of foot, two sleeves of musketeers flanking the wagons, and some cavalry closing the way. It is simply a factual,oftentimes confusing, account of the various actions during the battle for the South Mountain Gaps in the Maryland Campaign.There is virtually no discussion or analysis of the events and people involved, except to stop every so often and give a brief biograghy of a participant - a tactic that becomes painstakingly predictable. Im sure therell be those who disagree with this assessment, but thats the purpose of studying history. Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. [1] The Battle of South Mountain was a very important battle. Please try again. showing positions at Fox's and Turner's Gaps, Sept. 14th 1862. They remained in the town for at least three months. South Mountain during the Gettysburg Campaign - Emmitsburg The Union army had been badly beaten and was stunned and disorganized. The English and Dutch prepared an ambush, in which many English knights and noblemen were involved. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. Shortly after, Pickens allowed the evacuation of 45 women and children to provide some measure of relief. Please try again. The Mountain House (South Mountain Inn) hugs the road and was a focal point during the battle. Context and Story of the Battle - U.S. National Park Service The Maryland General Assemblys Office of Legislative Audits operates a toll-free fraud hotline to receive allegations of fraud and/or abuse of State government resources.
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