Fighting Colonels of Fox's Gap- Morning Phase

In the chaotic and hellish conditions that the terrain of South Mountain created for the opposing armies who clashed here, it took the stellar leadership of regimental officers to keep their regiments together and take the fight to the enemy. Whether they were Confederate or Federal, they would go into battle living, fighting, and dying on the same ground that their men would fall on. Here are a couple of these men who held the lines together, Lieutenant Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes and Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ruffin, Jr.

Lieutenant Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes, commanding 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry: On the morning of September 14th, Hayes orders his men onto the National Pike near Middletown, Maryland to support the Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry against the Confederate positions at Turner's Gap. Upon learning that a heavy force of Confederate infantry defending Turner's, Scammon's brigade was moved off the pike onto the Old Sharpsburg Road leading directly towards Fox's Gap and around the Confederate left flank. Hayes' 23rd Ohio was the lead regiment of the brigade and when it came under fire from Confederate artillery posted at Turner's Gap, Scammon ordered Hayes to move up an old farm lane called the Loop Road outflanking and Confederates posted at Fox's Gap. At 9 A.M., lead elements of the 23rd Ohio make contact with skirmishers from the 5th North Carolina. The growing firefight turns into an all-out brawl. Hayes orders his regiment to charge the North Carolinian, successfully pushing the Confederates back. With his men falling all around him, Hayes remains calm and collected keeping up pressure on the reeling Confederate troops. Hayes is wounded rather severely when a minie ball hits him in the left arm just as he prepares to order another charge. He remains in command and hears rumors of a confederate force attempting to flank him so he orders two companies from his left to pull back and turn to the left. Instead of two companies falling back, the entire regiment does so leaving the wounded Hayes between the opposing lines. Hayes calls out, "Hallo, Twenty-Third men, are you going to leave you colonel here for the enemy?!" Almost immediately, several men break ranks running to their wounded commander but Confederate fire forces Hayes to order them back to cover. Eventually, Lieutenant Jackson comes to Hayes and carries him back to friendly lines. Hayes has his wound tended to, but loss of blood causes Hayes to faint. Hayes is carried off the field and Major James Comly assumes command of the regiment. Hayes will spend most of the next two months recuperating and he will be promoted to full colonel in late October 1862. He would later command a brigade and end the war as a brevet Major General. He would become President of the United States following the election of 1876.



Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ruffin, Jr. commanding 13th North Carolina Infantry: As part of Samuel Garland's brigade, the 13th North Carolina under Lt. Colonel Ruffin would be General Garland's left flank during the morning attacks on Fox's Gap. As the battle is raging all along the Confederate line, General Garland rides up behind the 13th North Carolina to help steady the men. Lt. Colonel Ruffin recalls:

"I said to him: 'General, why do you stay here ? you are in great danger. To which he replied: 'I may as well be here as yourself.' I said: 'No, it is my duty to be here with my regiment, but you could better superintend your brigade from a safer position.' Just then I was shot in the hip, and as there was no field-officer then with the regiment, other than myself, I told him of my wound, and that it might disable me, and in that case I wished a field-officer to take my place. He turned and gave some order, which I have forgotten. In a moment I heard a groan, and looked and found him mortally wounded and writhing in pain."

Ruffin, while suffering a rather severe wound to his hip, had just witnessed the death of General Garland. As the Confederate line began to collapse, Ruffin would keep the 13th in position and became hotly engaged with a Union regiment to there front. Suddenly, fire begins pouring down on them from their right, where Ruffin had believed the rest of the brigade was still in position. It was found that the brigade had been routed. To deal with the dual threat, Ruffin orders a charge to his front pushing back those Union troops. He then pulls his men back and faces to the right and orders a charge. This charge is also successful. As Ruffin begins pulling his men back following this second charge, they receive fire from where their left flank once rested Ruffin immediately about faced his regiment and charged in this direction. Finding a handful of Union skirmishers, they were easily dispatched. With these bold moves, Ruffin was able to connect with the 2nd and 4th North Carolina regiments under Colonel Charles C. Tew. Lt. Colonel Ruffin and the 13th would continue fighting as a part of General George B. Anderson's brigade on the 14th before being pulled off that mountain that night and reqrouping with the survivors of Garland's brigade. Lt. Colonel Ruffin would relinquish command of the regiment due to his wound and not take part in the fighting at Sharpsburg. He would survive the war and serve as a justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

The slaughter of Drayton's Brigade

Brigadier General Thomas Drayton's Brigade was a part of David R. Jones division at South Mountain and it was ordered to Fox's Gap to reinforce the Confederate position and act as the hinge on which a Confederate counterattack would turn. It was created in 1862 and transferred to Richmond to serve in the Army of Northern Virginia. The 15th South Carolina, 3rd South Carolina Infantry Battalion, Phillip's (GA) Legion Infantry, 50th Georgia, and 51st Georgia were the regiments that made up this brigade. At Fox's Gap, Drayton would order an attack by the 15th South Carolina, the 3rd SC infantry battalion, and Phillips Legion that would be halted and pushed back not long after it began. The 50th and 51st Georgia would be trapped along the Old Sharpsburg Road and taking fire from 3 different directions. The Georgians would be slaughted in the roadbed making this portion of the road South Mountain's Bloody Lane. The South Carolinians would take a position around the Daniel Wise farmhouse and hold as long as possible. The 15th gave way first, but the 3rd's commander refused to let his men retreat and held the line until he was mortally wounded. The Phillip's Legion resisted as much as possible before it too was forced to retreat. Drayton took about 1,300 men with him to the gap, he would leave almost half on the battlefield either killed, wounded, or captured. This is as complete a list as could be created for this brigade.



Brigadier General Thomas F. Drayton (commanding 5 regiments)

Killed 108
Wounded 162
Missing/Captured 176
Total 446






3rd South Carolina Infantry Battalion (Lt. Colonel George S. Strother commanding)

Regiment:
Killed:
Lieutenant Colonel George S. Strother
Wounded:
Major William G. Rice
Captured:
Assistant Surgeon Simon Baruch

Company A:
Killed:
Sergeant James J. Anderson
Private James Calhoun
Private John W. Calhoun, Jr.
Private Elias N. Owens
Private Carson K. Puckett
Wounded:
Sergeant George W. Moored (Captured Also)
Private Capers B. Cannon (Captured also)
Private Rueben S. Clardy
Private Henry H. Cook (Captured also)
Private James H. Finley
Private James D. Fooshe
Private John H. Nichols (Captured also)
Private Joseph M. Rampy (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private John C. Fooshe
Private Elihu W. Griffin
Private George W. Hines
Private John M. Nelson
Private Samuel D. Puckett
Private James Ramsey
Private Joshua M. Townsend



Company B:
Killed:
Sergeant James W. Davis
Private Samuel L. Austin
Private John W. Crawford
Private Pressley A. Fuller
Private Elihu C. Griffin
Private Abraham Hollingsworth
Private Waddy T. Irby
Private William C. Madden
Private Maxwell Smith
Private William E. Waldrop
Wounded:
2nd Lieutenant Adolphus A. Fuller (Captured also)
Sergeant John C. Fuller (Captured also)
Private Isaac G. Austin
Private Thomas J. Coleman (Captured also)
Private William B. Fuller
Private James A. Jones (Captured also)
Private Andrew J. Snow
Private Francis M. Walker (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Sergeant Major George A. Ligon
Private Thomas H. Calhoun
Private William H. Hand
Private Henry L. Hitt
Private James F. Nelson
Private James E. Watson

Company C:
Killed:
Lieutenant Mastin W. Henderson
Private Joseph J. Avery
Private William N. Cannon
Private A. Tolen Motes
Private Lawson Watkins
Wounded:
Sergeant Thomas P. Cooper (Captured also)
Private James E. Baldwin
Private William Dagnall
Private Ambrose W. Hudgens (Captured also)
Private John S. Pitts
Private John N. Wilson
Captured/Missing:
Corporal John S. Anderson



Company D:
Killed:
Sergeant William W. Simpson
Private Anderson Babb
Private William D. McKnight
Private Robert T. Shockley
Wounded:
Sergeant Joseph F. Ramage
Private William F. Kelly (Captured also)
Private Thomas J. Loyd
Private James McCluney (captured also)
Private Charles S. Madden (Captured also)
Private Joseph R. Brownlee (Captured also)
Private George R. Burdette
Captured/Missing:
1st Lieutenant Charles E. Kirk
Private Henry L. Curry
Private Decatur Madden
Private Richard L. Owings
Private John L. Speake
Private Robert S. Spears

Company E:
Killed:
Corporal Dempsey Armstrong
Private Drury B. Riddle
Private W. Drayton Riddle
Private Martin Sumerel
Private William M. Sumeral
Wounded:
2nd Lieutenant Robert L. Henry
Corporal Toliver Sumeral (Captured also)
Private James W. Fowler
Private William W. Grumbles (Captured also)
Private Jasper R. Martin (Captured also)
Private J.S. Morgan (Captured also)
Private William P. Patterson (Captured also)
Private Joseph W. Stewart (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private John W. Bryant
Private John O. Mcneely
Private Mancil Owens
Private James A. Riddle
Private Martin Riddle
Private Willis M. Riddle
Private Robert J. Todd


Company F:
Killed:
Sergeant P.H. Keough
Private Dederick Senn
Private Thomas M. Smith
Wounded:
2nd Lieutenant Joseph F. Freideberg
Private Alexander H. Fleming (Captured also)
Private Samuel R. North
Private John Rembert (Captured also)
Private Elwood R. Stokes
Captured/Missing:
Captain Daniel B. Miller
Corporal j.B. Mccawley
Private James R. Campbell
Private Patrick Claffey
Private William E.C. Fulmer
Private John Glaze
Private Robert Thrift

Company G:
Killed:
2nd Lieutenant James P. Shedd
1st Sergeant David R. Martin
Wounded:
Sergeant Labon H. Trapp (Captured also)
Private John W. Boyd (Captured also)
Private George W. Brown
Private Jesse Graddick
Private Robert M. Hagood (Captured also)
Private Washington N. Mason
Private John F. Paul (Captured also)
Private W.H. Robinson (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
2nd Lieutenant Robert H. Jennings
Sergeant Benjamin F. Watt
Private Hugh W. Aiken
Private George S. Tinkler


15th South Carolina (Colonel William D. DeSaussure commanding)

Regiment:
Wounded:
Aide de Camp Caleb Clark
Private Irwin Emory (Company Unknown)


Company A:
Killed:
Private Gerald McCammon
Private William H. Roberts
Private Adolphus Stark
Private Ira G. Templeton
Wounded:
Private Charles P. Johnson (Captured also)
Private William E. Parker
Captured/Missing:
Private William Graham

Company B:
Killed:
Private William P. Huckaby
Private Spenser Prince
Private Franklin Rook
Wounded:
Sergeant Major Charles H. Giles
Private J.P. Barnett
Private W.H. Boram
Private Robert Lamb
Private William H. Williams
Captured/Missing:
Private Jason Bobo

Company C:
Killed:
1st Lieutenant Samuel I. Lewie
4th Sergeant Henry F. Derrick
Private Henry Satcher
Wounded:
Private Daniel A. Jumper
Private James W. Jumper
Private James Lominack (Captured also)
Private David W. Oswalt (Captured also)
Private Nathaniel Oxner
Private David Taylor
Captured/Missing:
Private James A. Long
Private James H. Long




Company D:
Killed:
Private Joseph B. Capell
Private Columbus Watts
Wounded:
1st Lieutenant James M. Davis
Private W.H. Capell (Captured also)
Private James L. Gardner
Private Duncan Jordan
Private Manning Scott
Private Francis M. Watts
Captured/Missing:
Chaplain Hugh B. McCallum
Private David G. Fletcher
Private W.W. Watson

Company E:
Killed:
2nd Lieutenant Joseph B. Hoy
Wounded:
Private Lee Bagley
Private W.J. Barker
Private William M. Blair
Private William J. Cotton
Private Robert L. Martin
Private George W. Williams
Captured/Missing:
Private John J. Barreneau
Private William P. Dickinson
Private W. W. Lyles
Private G. Butler Pearson

Company F:
Killed:
1st Sergeant James A. Rowland
Private Marion K. Alston
Private Harvey W. Scott
Wounded:
1st Lieutenant John D. Jefferies
Private John C. Edge
Private Seberry Jones
Private Morgan Knox
Private Anthony J. Peeler
Private James Spencer
Captured/Missing:
Private William Fowler
Company G:
Killed:
Private James Hudson
Private J. Mcdonald
Wounded:
Private Robert F. Cox
Private W. J. McCalister
Captured/Missing:
Private L.C. Altman
Private Elias F. Ard
Private John M. Graham
Private Adam H. June
Private Theodore G. June
Private John J. Mathews
Private John A. Owens
Private Henry A. Poston
Private E. P. Sharp

Company H:
Killed:
1st Lieutenant William P. Farr
2nd Sergeant James Savage
Wounded:
Private William Adis
Private Columbus Garner
Private A. D. Spears

Company I:
Killed:
Private William W. Hallman
Wounded:
1st Lieutenant Robert W. Frick
Private David W. Amick
Private James F. Koon (Captured also)
Private Samuel W. Koon
Private George M.Shealy
Captured/Missing:
2nd Lieutenant Wade Keisler
5th Sergeant Henry L. Amick
Corporal Jacob A. Bowers
Private Solomon D.W. Amick
Private John E. Jacobs
Private William H. Koon
Private George M. Monts


Company K:
Killed:
Private Samuel M. Cook
Wounded:
2nd Sergeant William M. McCaslan
Private John W. Caldwell
Private Samuel S. Mcbride
Private William J. McCaine
Private Cartlege Weeks
Captured/Missing:
Private James b. Robertson

Phillips (GA) Legion Infantry (Lt. Colonel Robert T. Cook commanding)

Regiment:
Wounded:
Major Elihu S. Barclay (Captured also)
Sergeant Major John A. Mathias
Chaplain George G. Smith

Company A
Killed:
Private William F. Williams
Wounded:
Captain Oliver P. Daniel
Private Joseph B. Walker (Mortally)

Company B:
Killed:
Private William Cowan
Private Darling P. Glover
Private William Lynch
Private James H. Mitchell
Private Monroe Mitchell
Private Richard P. Stone
Wounded:
Private August Abraham (Captured also)
Private Jacob A. Blanton (Captured also)
Private Warren R. Davis
Private Wiley P. Mitchell (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private Marcellus F. Broyles
Private Lyman A. Chapman
Private Joseph C. England
Private James W. Hawkins
Private Henry L. Russell
Private John W. Samples
Private Francis M. Turner

Company C:
Killed:
Private William Dobbins
Private Jonas O. Mills
Private Thomas J. Roman
Private Hunter VanDiver
Wounded:
Private John B.F. Red
Private Isaac N. Taylor (Captured also)
Private William W. Ward
Captured/Missing:
Private James Alley
Private John T. Spruell

Company D:
Killed:
1st Lieutenant Abraham Jones
Private John A. Scott
Private James W. Spratling
Private Ellis E. Williams
Wounded:
Private John T.L. Baldwin
Private David H.P. Barton (Captured also)
Private R.H. Echols
Private Frank B. Luke
Private John Mathias
Private John F. Murphy
Private Samuel M. Turner (Captured also)
Captured:
Private W. J. Sumner
Private E. Cannon Williams
Private James S. Wood

Company E:
Wounded:
Captain Joseph E. Hamilton
Private James Dempsey
Private Noah White


Company F:
Killed:
2nd Lieutenant John W. Duggan
Wounded:
Private William Carroll (Captured also)
Private Patrick G. Garey (Captured also)
Captured:
2nd Corporal Richard Deignan
Private Barnard Conway
Private Richard Furlong
Private Patrick McGovern

Company L:
Wounded:
Captain James M. Johnson (Captured also)
Private Newton J. Ivey (Mortally)
Private Doctor L. Malone (Captured also)
Private William B. Pilgrim
Private Joseph B. Richardson
Captured:
Private Andrew J. Alexander
Private William J. Esler
Private Clement J. Hunt
Private Ira F. McClellan
Private Solomon H. Sanders
Private Mitchell Walraven
Private Harrison Wilmoth

Company M:
Killed:
Private William M. Bannister
Private Hiram W. Folds
Wounded:
Private William Bannister
Private Andrew J. Inzer
Private Harvey E. McKee
Private William H. Sauls (Captured also)
Private John W. Sewell
Captured:
Private John P. Bryan
Private Charles B. Collins
Private John W. Hodges
Private Daniel H. Ponder
Private James E. Smith
Private Joel C. Stancell

Company O:
Killed:
Private Emsley D. Childers
Private Samuel E. Fields
Private John R. Hawkins
Private Jesse M. Jackson
Private William O. Watson
Private Rufus M. West
Wounded:
Private Andrew J. Davis (Captured also)
Private Charles P. Henderson
Private Robert Moore
Private William G. Taylor
Captured/Missing:
1st Sergeant Alvan H. Summers
Private Thomas C. Austin



50th Georgia (Lieutenant Colonel Francis Kearse commanding)

Company A:
Killed:
Private Samuel Altman
Private James T. Peacock
Private James R. Thomas
Private James F. Thomas
Wounded:
Private John W. Fletcher
Private Robert G. O’Berry
Private George R. Stom (Missing)
Private Lewis R. Thomas
Private Benjamin Waldron
Captured/Missing:
Private William H. Gooding
Private James T. Tippon

Company B:
Casualties unknown

Company C:
Casualties unknown

Company D:
Killed:
4th Corporal W. F. McConnell
Private Hezekiah Brown
Private J. Vickers
Private M. Vickers
Wounded:
Private E. Hughes (mortally)
Private William J. Nelson, Sr. (Captured also)
Private Jack Swilley
Captured/Missing:
Private B. Coleman
Private R. P. Hughes

Company E:
Casualties Unknown

Company F:
Casualties Unknown

Company G:
Killed:
Private William S. Guthery
Private John Roberts
Wounded:
Captain John R. Osteen
1st Sergeant James Douglass
2nd Sergeant Charles W. Curry
4th Corporal William T. Roberts
Private James R. Hargroves
Private Moses Roberts
Captured/Missing:
Private David Bass
Private Manning Cowart
Private Lyman A. Sirmans
Private M.T. Strickland
Private Jasper H. Vining

Company H:
Killed:
3rd Corporal Jeremiah T. Hancock
4th Sergeant James Brown
Private Jasper Castleberry
Private Joseph Castleberry
Private Harrison G. Hancock
Private James A. Hood
Wounded:
Private David A. Giles

Company I:
Killed:
Private Richard P. Connell
Private Mathew Handley
Private Elisha R. Herring
Wounded:
Private Samuel Ford
Private Lewis Marshall (Captured also)
Private Randall McMillan
Private A.J. Parrish (Missing also)
Captured/Missing:
Private William Hartley
Private Jams H. Tison

Company K:
Casualties Unknown


51st Georgia (Colonel William M. Slaughter (?) commanding)

Company A:
Wounded:
Private William H. Barnard
Private James L. Ford

Company B:
Killed:
2nd Lieutenant George W. West
Wounded:
Private William P. West

Company C:
Casualties unknown

Company D:
Wounded:
Private James Glass

Company E:
Killed:
2nd Lieutenant Louis G. Hainesley
Private Legrand B. Bartlett
Private G.W. Clower
Private David G. Jones
Wounded:
Private Marion A. Bell
Private Francis E. Davis (Captured also)
Private James M. Thompson (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private Jordan Everett
Private Andrew J. Reaves
Private Virgil P. Rimes

Company F:
Killed:
Private John R. Wainwright
Private W.W. Wimberley
Wounded:
Private Vincent Huff
Private W.J.D. Laing (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Sergeant James E. Whitaker
Private George W.Odum
Private Robert A. Baird
Private S.S. Bradley
Private Robert A. Dyson
Private John J. Smith
Private Issace Vinson
Private Robert E. Wright

Company H:
Killed:
Private Joseph A. Dubose
Captured/Missing:
Private James R. Cox

Company I:
Unknown Casualties

Company K:
Unknown Casualties

Anniversary plans, September 14, 2010

We are quickly coming up on the Battle of South Mountain's 148th Anniversary on September 14, 2010. Some programs schedules for the day are:

At 9:30 AM, a tour of Turner's, Fox's, and Crampton's gap. This is a van tour out of Antietam National Battlefield leaving from the Visitor Center. A sign-up sheet will be available at the visitor center desk that morning. Only 10 spots are available so sign up as soon as possible!

At 12:30 PM, there will be a guided walking tour of the Fox's Gap battlefield. It will be leaving from the South Mountain Inn's parking lot and walking down the Wood Road in the footsteps of Confederate Soldiers on the fateful day in September. You will see the site where two generals were mortally wounded and in the words of one confederate, " hell is open and all the devils are here".

At 4:00PM, you will experience the Crampton's Gap battlefield in a walking tour lead by Park Service Interpreter Steve Lopez. It will cover the march of the 6th Corps to Burkitsville, the 6th Corps assault up the face of the mountain, and the valient defense of the gap by Confederates under Brigadier General Howell Cobb. It will also cover the aftermath of the battle and Lee's decision to exit Maryland upon hearing that Crampton's Gap had fallen.

So you have choice of events. Hope to see you the 14th!

Rode's Fallen Alabamians

While we study the war, its battles, the strategies and tactics used, the weaponry, and the home front, we really don't look at the casualty lists as a reminder of what this war cost. Over the next few months and whenever i get a chance, I am going to compile as complete a casualty listing as I possibly can with the resources available to me. I feel that the best way to remember the casualties is by putting names to the numbers. We can say that here at South Mountain, both sides lost a combined 6,000 men but by putting names to the numbers, I feel the battle becomes more personal. It becomes more real when you know who these men were and what price they paid. My first installment of this project is that of Brigadier General Robert Rodes. Rodes men deployed and held the Pennsylvania Reserves under George Meade at bay for nearly three hours before Union numbers forced them to break. The casualty figures are for four of Rode's regiments. The 3rd Alabama has no records that I am readily aware or are readily available to me for this list.

Brigadier General Robert Rodes (Commanding 5 regiments)

Casualties
Killed: 61
Wounded: 139
Captured/Missing­­­: 151
Total: 351

3rd Alabama (Colonel Cullen A. Battle, commanding)

Casualties Unknown

5th Alabama (Major E. L. Hobson, commanding)

Company A:
Captured/Missing:
Lieutenant L.S. Chitwood
Private J.P. Cohran
Private W.E. Cook
Private Jas. Farrier
Private J.L. Hems

Company B:
Wounded:
Private George Wright
Captured/Missing:
Private W. T. Vaughan

Company C:
Killed:
Private T.C. Stalsworth
Wounded:
Lieutenant John Burns
Private J.W. Butler
Private J.R. Mc auis
Captured/Missing:
Sergeant W.H. Watkins
Corporal C.C. Nettles
Private W.E. Cree
Private J.L. Ch_n
Private H. Cumby
Private W.A. Dudley
Private W.N. Deke
Private D.S. Dubuse
Private F.F. Funklea
Private C.L. Hutio
Private W.E. Leslie
Private A.C. McInnis
Private W.R. Norwood
Private J.L. Nixon
Private John Wiggins
Private John Watson

Company D:
Killed:
Private W.B. Moorman
Wounded:
Private D.G. Williams
Private F.E. Bayol
Private C.W. Hafner
Captured/Missing:
Captain J.W. Williams
Sergeant W.D. Witherspoon
Sergeant J.F. Christian
Corporal T.A. Frierson?
Private Jas. Griggs
Private James Burton
Private R.B. Price
Private P.D. Webb
Private I.C. McGehee
Private David Barnum

Company E:
Killed:?
Wounded:
Sergeant S.C. Coleman
Missing:
Sergeant J.R. Colgin
Private I.H. Henderson
Private W.C. Watson
Private P.P. May



Company F:
Wounded:
Private T.A. Carson
Private P. Blount
Private J.S. Garrett
Captured/Missing:
Sergeant J.N. Andrews
Sergeant D.M. Bitt? Hitt?
Corporal W.J. Wilson
Private Jas. Burritt
Private Thomas Chi?helm
Private P. Castigan
Private W.H. Hatcher
Private J.T. Holmes
Private J.T. Johnson
Private O. Marrow
Private H.O. Swan

Company G:
Wounded:
Lieutenant J.N. Craig
Private T.N. Gee
Captured/Missing:
Private J.H. Holmes
Private W.E. Matthews
Private John A. McCauley

Company H:
Killed:
Private Wilson Williams
Wounded:
Private S.W. Hood
Private J.D. Ball
Captured/Missing:
Lieutenant S.P. Do?s
Lieutenant D.N. Smith
Sergeant M.F. Wakefield
Sergeant E.C. Wallis
Sergeant A. Burgin
Corporal J.O. Hawthorn
Private W.A. Burgin
Private G.W. Ballard
Private J.A. C?leman
Private L.S. Duncan
Private B.F. D?rrow
Private F.M. Ellis
Private J.L. Gate
Private J.J. Moorhead
Private G.T. Spruill
Private J.A. Taylor
Private J.M. Gahav
Private J.M. Woodward

Company I:
Killed:
Private J.B. Noble
Wounded:
Private W.H. Daughtry
Private N.G. Finley
Private W. Knight
Private G. Shepherd
Private W.L. Williams
Private Mioleton?
Captured/Missing:
Private E. Herron
Private John Lee
Private J.B. Nixon
Private J.G. Spinks
Private J.M. Tucker
Private G.W. Williams
Private W. Buckalow
Private W.F. Woodard
Private J.M. Williamson

Company K:
Killed:
Private Thomas Kendrick
Private Oscar Willy?
Private William McCarty
Wounded:
Lieutenant J.M. Gilchrist
Corporal G.B. Deiskler
Corporal J.F. Martin
Private G. Maynard
Private Charles Russell
Private R. Savage
Captured/Missing:
Private Ben Herbert
Private R.H. McCall
Private Catlett Murms?
Private A.D. Royen



6th Alabama (Colonel John B. Gordon, commanding)

Company A
Killed:
Corporal W. Brown
Private S. Jones
Private S. Jackson
Private J. Crawford
Private H.M. Goodie
Wounded:
Private W. Bowie
Private W. Sheffield
Private J. Whitehead
Private W. Whilno?
Private A. Jones
Captured/Missing:
Corporal J. Hayes
Private Z. Carter

Company B
Wounded:
Private T.A. Trawick?

Company C
Wounded:
Captain Greene
Corporal Craf??
Captured/ Missing:
Private B.H. Campbell

Company D
Killed:
Sergeant G.W. Smith
Private C.C. Dugger
Private J. Bartis
Private J. Chadwick
Captured/Missing:
Sergeant J.G. Carroll

Company E
Killed:
Private John McManus
Private Ben McCain
Private E. Hogan
Wounded:
Lieutenant J.S. Bryant
Corporal C.W. Garrett
Private W.T. No?man
Private D.C. Leary
Private O.W. Br?burg

Company F
Killed:
Sergeant D.L. Kennon
Private R.N. Harrison
Private C.M. Downing
Wounded:
Lieutenant D. Pitts
Sergeant D.G. Madden
Sergeant O.D. Smith
Corporal J.F. Bishop
Corporal J.D. Duncan
Corporal H.J. Sharp
Private J.W. Broley
Private J.B. Lacy
Private T.W. H?guly
Private A.J. Smith
Private T.J. Ward
Captured/Missing:
Private D.B. Poer

Company G
Killed:
Sergeant Hall
Sergeant Whetstone
Private R. Matley
Private J. Carter
Private H. Carter
Private Ben Taylor
Private L. Howser
Private R. Alexander
Private S. Rodgers
Wounded:
Lieutenant Golson
Lieutenant G.W. Thompson
Corporal W.W. Chavers
Private S.J. Jones
Private N. Durden
Private R. Caver
Private S. Heath?
Private R. Golson
Private Jas. Herman
Private J. Shelby
Private F. Davis
Private Collins
Captured/Missing:
Private L.M. Whetstone
Private R.F. Avery
Private C.C. Robinson
Private T.J. Langford
Private C.H. Golson
Private N. Billingsea

Company H
Wounded:
Sergeant J. Haley
Sergeant J. Cary
Sergeant J. Karney
Corporal J. Maxwell
Private Burk
Private A.W. Maxwell
Private L. Steed
Captured/Missing:
Private O. Galloway
Private J. Maxwell
Private T. Shelton
Private J. Martin

Company I
Killed:
Private Portis
Wounded:
Private Hill
Private Mills
Captured/Missing:
Private Hicks
Private Threadwell

Company K
Wounded:
Captain Culver
Private J.C. Guilford
Private N. Griffin
Private H.E. Chi?y
Captured/Missing:
Corporal W.W. Richards
Private H.L. Hill
Private William Payne
Private N. Lowery

Company L
Killed:
C.E.T. Jones
Wounded:
Lieutenant A.A. Scott
Private A.W. Humphries
Private W.H. English
Private A.H. Moore
Captured/Missing:
Corporal W.H. Crawford

Company M
Killed:
Private Thomas Brodax
Wounded:
Private John S?ellgrover
Captured/Missing:
Private H. De?ne


12th Alabama ( Colonel Bristor Gayle, commanding)

Missing: Col. B.B. Gayle

Company A
Killed:
Sergeant Alex Portiers
Wounded:
Private J. Kearns
Private J. Clark
Private J. Carney
Missing:
Private J. Polis
Private J. Starke

Company B
Killed:
Private S.A. Burton
Private W.A.L Veazey
Wounded:
Private D.H. Hagans
Missing:
Lieutenant H.W. Cox
Private S.H. Veazey
Private I. Bridges
Private J.T. B?ce

Company C
Killed:
Private J. Schusten
Wounded:
Private R. Jones
Missing:
Private J. Hogan

Company D
Wounded:
Private J.C. Johnson
Private J.G. Wheeler
Missing:
Sergeant William Lisson


Company E
Killed:
Private John A Mikles
Private J.D. Sutherland

Company F
Wounded:
Corporal A.G. Howard
Private Jas. Patterson
Missing:
Lieutenant R.E. Park
Private John Attaway
Private Thomas R?sterson
Private D. Oswalt

Company G
Killed:
Corporal A.G. Grizzle
Private G.W. Burns?
Private Jas. Posey
Private Abner Riggine?
Wounded:
Private Jordan White
Private B.E. Beril
Missing:
Sergeant J. Dudley
Private S.V. Mitchell
Private J. Stephens

Company H
Killed:
Sergeant A. Roper
Private L. Hall
Private J. Hamilton
Private H. Posey
Private C. Runmels
Wounded:
Private J.R. Allsion

Company I
Wounded:
Lieutenant E.H. Jones
Corporal W. Thomas
Private D. Fittsche
Missing:
Sergeant P.L. Myers
Private J. Williams
Private O. Whitaker
Private P Seigmundt

Company K
Wounded:
Private J. Hewitt
Private J.N. Wood
Private E.M. Cobb
Private J. Allen
Private J.T. Brown
Missing:
Sergeant J.R. O’Neal
Corporal B.F. Marsh
Private W.F. Osborne?
Private W.F. Winslett
Private J. Winslett
Private R. McIntosh


26th Alabama ( Colonel Edward A. O’Neal, commanding)

Regiment:
Wounded:
Colonel Edward A. O’Neal
Major Raymond P. Reddon, M.D.

Company A:
Wounded:
3rd Sergeant Wiley S. Enis
4th Sergeant Jonathan E. Ayres
Private Francis M. Black
Private Wilmington M. Hill
Private Albert Kelley (Captured also)
Private Stephen A. McGinnis (Captured also)
Private Carson H. Moore (Captured Also)
Captured/Missing:
Private James Townsend
Private D. Newton Yarby

Company B:
Wounded:
Corporal Joseph H. Bounds
Corporal W.T. Ridout
Private Young Thrift
Private John B. Garrison
Private C.M. Smith (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private J.R. Beauchamp

Company C:
Wounded:
Private John B. Garrison
Private C.M. Smith (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private J.R. Beauchamp

Company D:
Killed:
1st Sergeant J.P Gideon
3rd Sergeant Albert Ayres
Corporal David Robison
Wounded:
Private David Wheeler

Company E:
Wounded:
1st Sergeant Pleasant Reed (Captured also)
Captured/Missing:
Private John F.M. Corbell

Company F:
Killed:
Corporal I.C. Lively
Wounded:
Corporal James C. Sedgely (Captured also)

Company G:
Killed:
2nd Sergeant William A. Parsons
Wounded:
Private Thomas C. Forester
Private William J. Taylor
Captured/Missing:
Private James H. Dobbins (Deserted)

Company F:
Killed:
Private Samuel P. Brown
Private Henry J. Glasscock
Private James S. Robertson
Private J.W. Stanton
Wounded:
Corporal Henry W. Miller (Captured also)
Private Samuel M. Frazier (Captured also)
Private James A. Hill
Private William C. Hill, Sr. (Captured also)
Private M. Daniel Howell (Captured also)
Private Harley McKay
Private Henry L. Tucker (Captured also)

Company I:
Killed:
Private John H. Davis
Private Benjamin Papizan
Wounded:
Corporal Moses W. Sykes (Captured also)
Private John W.F. Jones
Private Peter J. Gilpin
Private Augustus Beard (Captured)
Private Rueben Davis

Company K
Killed:
Private James R. Smith
Wounded:
Captain Frank M. Smith
3rd Sergeant C.C. Pollard
4th Sergeant Francis W. Smith
2nd Corporal William A.J. Kemp
Corporal Ned Miller
Corporal William P. Smith
Private James B. Hudson (Captured also)
Private William w. Smith
Captured/Missing:
Private Balaam J. Smith

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." : The Morning Struggle for Fox's Gap

( Fox's Gap with the Daniel Wise Farmhouse to the right)


The morning of September 14, 1862 dawned crisp and cool. Unknown to either side, the men of Jacob Cox's Kanawha Division or Samuel Garland's Confederate brigade, they would be the spark that ignited the first major battle on northern soil during the American Civil War.


On the morning of the 14th, the Kanawha division of the IX Corps under the command of Brigadier General Jacob Cox is encamped near Middletown, Maryland after assisting Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry breakthrough at Braddock's Gap and advance to the base of South Mountain along the National Pike before being ordered back to Middletown. Cox's men awake to the sound of reveille early in the morning and many manage to prepare a quick breakfast before they are ordered onto the National Pike in preparation for their march on South Mountain. At 6 AM, Cox's men are underway. They are the support for a reconnaisance by Pleasonton's Cavalry against Turner's Gap, the main thouroughfare over the mountain. As he accompanies his lead brigade under Colonel Eliakim Scammon up the National Pike, he comes across Colonel Augustus Moor of the 36th Ohio, who had been captured in Frederick as the vanguard of the Union Army entered the city on September 12. Moor had been released on parole and was walking towards Frederick to await exchange. Cox is surprised by Moor's appearance and the two strike up a conversation. Cox tells Moor that he is advancing against the mountain, and Moor exclaims, " My God! Be Careful!". Knowing he had said to much, Moor quickly moves on towards Frederick but the warning is enough for General Cox, he orders up the brigade of Colonel George Crook and sends for reinforcements from the remainder of the IX Corps. Jacob Cox is preparing for a heavy fight.


Colonel Moor's warning to Cox dealt with the division of Major General Daniel Harvey Hill. Hill had been in position with his division around Boonsboro, Maryland watching the passes in the mountain, watching the roads to the south for any Union forces that may escape from Harpers Ferry, and protecting the armies reserve artillery and supplies. On the 13th, as Confederate Cavalry under the command of Major General James Ewell Brown Stuart are pushed back to South Mountain, Stuart requests that Hill send an infantry brigade to support his cavalry against what he believes is only some Union cavalry and infantry. Hill orders up two brigades under Brigadier General Samuel Garland and Colonel Alfred Colquitt. He also brings up the artillery battalion of Colonel Allen S. Cutt's. Colquitt was ordered down to the eastern base of the mountain. On the night of the 13th, Colquitt would move his men up and down the mountainside in an attempt to find the perfect position for defense. Cutt's Artillery was position in the fields opposite the Mountain House, D.H. Hill's headquarters, and pointed towards the Fox's Gap area. The Sumter Artillery under the command of Captain John Lane was detached from Cutt and ordered into position to support Colquitt, going into a position straddling the National Pike near the Mountain House that commanded the National Pike as it approached Turner's Gap. Garland's brigade would encamp at the western base of the mountain, within easy distance to support Colquitt if he comes under pressure from Union forces. Later that night, Hill is standing at Turner's Gap and he can see the numerous camp fires of the Union Army and he immediately knows he faces more than just a couple brigades of infantry and cavalry.


On the morning of the 14th, as Cox's men begin preparing for their march, General Hill is doing his own personal reconnaissance at Turner's gap. He moves with his staff down the Wood Road, an farm lane along the crest of the mountain connecting Turner's and Fox's Gap. After he goes about 3/4 of a mile down the Wood Road, he hears wagon wheels, orders being shouted, and and hoof beats. As Hill continues along the road, a shell explodes nearby and Hill quickly retreats to the Mountain House with his staff. Upon arriving at his Headquarters, Garland's brigade is arriving and Hill immediately orders Garland to move down the Wood Road and retake Fox's Gap. Garland moves his brigade as quickly as possible towards Fox's Gap. Hill also ordered the battery of Captain James Bondurant to support Garland. Garland arrives at the gap roughly between 8 and 8:30 that morning and finds the 5th Virginia Cavalry, Thomas Rosser commanding, and John Pelham's battery of Horse Artillery. General Stuart had not reported to Hill about the placement of cavalry at the gap and fortunately for the Confederates, a friendly fire situation was avoided. Garland deploys his brigade in the fields of the Daniel Wise Farm. He post the 5th Virginia and Pelham's artillery to cover his extreme right. He placed the 5th North Carolina as his right flanks and at intervals he placed the 12th North Carolina, in support of Bondurant's battery, the 23rd North Carolina, 20th North Carolina, and he placed the 13th North Carolina on his left, resting his line along the Old Sharpsburg Road. Garland was in position and waiting the Union advance.


The division of Jacob Cox has been marching since 6 AM and as it reaches the small hamlet of Bolivar, Confederate Artillery from Turner's Gap begins firing upon the column. Cox's moves his division to the left up the Old Sharpsburg Road in an attempt to outflank Turner's Gap. His division, with Eliakim Scammon in the lead, is now on a direct route towards Fox's Gap. As he nears the gap, Cutt's battalion of Confederate artillery opens upon the column and again Cox is forced to move his division again to the left. He pushes Scammon's brigade a mountain trail called the Loop Road. The 23rd Ohio, Lieutenant Rutherford B. Hayes commanding, is in the lead with, in order respectfully, the 12th Ohio, and 30th Ohio.


Scammon moves his brigade up the steep incline for about a mile when he orders them into battlelines. He orders his regiments to through out skirmishers and prepare for an advance. Captain James Bondurant notices the Union forces and requests that the 5th and 12th North Carolina to put out a skirmish line to support his battery. The 12th, number barely 100 men, refuses to do so but the 5th, under Colonel Duncan McRae, does deploy skirmishers. The skirmish lines of the 23rd Ohio and 5th North Carolina collide at about 9 AM and the Battle of South Mountain is under way.


McRae moves his regiment to support his skirmishers but as the 23rd Ohio is advancing, the weight of Union numbers begins to push the North Carolinians back. Many of the men in the 5th North Carolina were new recruits and with this being their first taste of battle, many begin to flee. McRae seeing these recruits fleeing pulls his regiment back to its original position. This opens up the front of Bondurant's battery to the fire of the 23rd Ohio and Hayes orders his men to fix bayonets and charge. With minie ball's filling the air, Bondurant orders each one his guns to fire one round and retreat by prolong to the Ridge Road. This move is done successfully and Bondurant gets his guns safely to a position near the Daniel Wise farmhouse. The 12th North Carolina, Captain Shugan Snow commanding, moves to support the McRae and the two regiments manage to hold against the successive attacks of the 23rd Ohio. During one of these assaults, Rutherford B. Hayes is wounded rather severly in the left arm. He would remain in command of his regiment until loss of blood causes him to faint.


To the left of this intense firefight, the 12th Ohio, Colonel Carr B. White commanding, begins its attack against Colonel Daniel H. Christie's 23rd North Carolina. Christie had advanced his regiment forward out of the ridge road to take up a position along a stonewall in his front. White formed his regiment in line of battle and immediately advanced against the 23rd. The fire from the Confederates stalled the Union advance. The last regiment of Scammon's brigade, Colonel Hugh Ewing's 30th Ohio, deployed on the right near the Old Sharpsburg Road and opposed the 13th North Carolina, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ruffin, Jr. By 10 O'Clock the fighting at Fox's Gap is well under way and the Union assault has been stalled by Garland's brigade.


General Garland is confident that his right will hold off the heavy Union attacks and he moves to his embattled left where the 13th North Carolina is beginning to waver. As Garland arrives, Lt. Colonel Ruffin tells Garland that this is no place for him to be. Ruffin rememebers telling Garland that, "It is my duty to be here with my regiment, but you could better superintend your brigade from a safer position." Just that moment, a minie ball slams into Ruffins hip and he requests that Garland find a suitable commander for his regiment. Garland turns to give the order when he two his struck by a minie ball. He falls mortally wounded and he is taken to the Mountain House where he would succumb to his wounds later that day. Command of the brigade falls to Colonel Duncan McRae, but he would not be able to get a handle on this situation.


At this point, Cox orders in brigade of George Crook. He moves the 23rd Ohio, now under the command of Major James Comly, towards the left flank of the 12th Ohio. The 11th Ohio of Crook's Brigade, commanded by Lt. Colonel Augustus Coleman, is ordered to the left of the 23rd Ohio. The 11th attacks the faltering 5th Virginia and the 5th North Carolina breaking the Confederate line by 10:30 that morning.


The 36th Ohio, under Lieutenant Melvin Clarke, is ordered to close the gap between the 12th Ohio and the 30th Ohio. At the same time, a section of Union artillery under Lieutenant George Crome is ordered into position on the right of the 36th and it opens fire upon the 20th North Carolina under Colonel Alfred Iverson. Iverson hand picks several sharpshooters who take up a position to the right of Crome's guns. They systematically pick off the Union artilleryman to the point where Crome must help service his guns. While in the act of loading, Crome his mortally wounded and his artilleryman flee from their guns leaving them open for the taking. The sharpshooters attempt to capture the guns, but the fire from the 30th and 36th Ohio is to much for them to bear and the guns are never captured.


It was at this point in the fighting that the 23rd and 12th Ohio charged into the 23rd North Carolina shattering the regiment and forcing it to flee in confusion. After this was accomplished, they turn their attention to Iverson's 20th North Carolina who is pinned down by fired from the 36th Ohio. Iverson's men stood their ground defiantely before they two were routed. It was at this point that a Private Frederick Foard remembered:


" As I pulled my trigger with careful aim throwing a musket ball and three buck shot into them at not more than twenty yards distant I could see dimly through the dense sulphurous battle smoke and the line from Shakespeare’s Tempest flitted across my brain: Hell is empty and all the devils are here"


All that was standing now between the the Ohioan's and Fox's Gap was the regiment of Thomas Ruffin. Colonel Ruffin had managed to retain command of his regiment. By this time, the 30th, 36th, and 12th Ohio had converged against Ruffin's small regiment and were threating to cut them off from Confederate reinforcements that were arriving. Ruffin, with the support of his subordinates, orders three successive charges agains the three Unio regiments. Amazingly, these charges prove to be successful and Ruffin's men safely escape the trap they were in.


The 13th links up with a portion of Brigadier General George B. Anderson's brigade, the 2nd and 4th North Carolina under the command of Colonel C.C. Tew, as they come up the Wood Road. By 11, Cox's men are in possession of the gap and advancing along the ridgeline towards Turner's Gap. The combined force under Tew counterattacks towards Cox's men halting their advance and even making Cox believe that a large Confederate force has arrived in front of him. The Ohioan's repulse the attack but Cox pulles them back to Wise's South Field to await reinforcements from the remainder of the IX Corps. By 12, the fighting at Fox's Gap has died down and a lull occurs as both sides rush reinforcements to the gap.


The morning action at Fox's gap is remembered by some of the men who took part in it as some of the most severe and savage combat of the entire war. One Confederate rememebers that it was the only time during his service, that he witnessed a man bayoneted by the enemy. The confusion that was caused by the terrain and smoke created by the musket and artillery fired added an even more terrifying aspect to the fighting that took place that morning. Union losses in this early morning fight number roughly 100 killed, over 300 wounded, and 86 missing. Confederate losses were General Garland killed and no more than half his brigade killed, wounded, or missing out of 1,000 men who initially went into the battle. The afternoon phase of the fight would prove to be just as savage and even more blood would be spilled..

"Keep up good hearts, I am in God's hands."

These are a couple letters written home by 2nd Lieutenant Cadmus M. Amoss of the Cobb Legion from Georgia. The first is written just moments before Amoss’ unit crosses the Potomac into Maryland. He writes about his health, the march, and his belief that the war can be won. He would be wounded, shot through both lungs, during the ensuing campaign through Maryland. He would be hospitalized in Burkittsville, Md near the Crampton’s Gap Battlefield where he would have an Episcopal minister write one last letter home for him. The second letter was written by the Episcopal minister who had come to tend to wounded following the battles in western Maryland. 2nd Lieutenant Amoss would succumb to his wounds on September 27, 1862.


Leesburg VA
Sept. 4th 1862

My Dear Georgia
A long time has elapsed since I have had an opportunity of writing to you and even now I am forced to write in great haste. Our Division (General McLaws) arrived at this place last evening after a long and tedious march of nine days, I stood the march much better than I suppose and am in pretty good health with the exception of being perished out and a prospect ahead of being barefooted. Dont let this alarm you for half the army is in that delightful condition. As for getting anything to eat from the government that is out of the question for they haven’t got it. Our mel bought enough yesterday to last us several days and we are in high spirits. I suppose Georgia you would like to know what we are doing away up here and where we are going. Well the supposition is that we cros the Potomac in about two hours and go down on the side to Washington. Something important will trasprie very soon and it would not surprise me at all if we did go. I agree very much being so situated as not to receive or find letters to you. If we cros over on the other side there is not telling when I can write to you again. The last letter I received from you, you spoke of wanting some money. We have not been paid off since I came back and even if we had you letter came too late for me to send you any from Hanover. You will probibly need it before I have a chance of sending it so get as much as you want from the bank and I will replace it. Tell pa to . . . for you or he will let you have it ither. I have no idea when we will take up winter quarters if we remain here we will suffer very much from cold. If we succeed in the campaign that is now going on up here, we will have every reason to feel grateful and I think if the Yankees don’t give up the contest they are in a fair way to ruin themselves. If Washington falls the Yankees will be humbled and their attacks will become more feeble. I have only a few minutes in which to conclude. Good bye my dear wife for the present. I do hope it will not be long before I hear from you again. I will write to you the first chance I have. Give my love to all the family. Kiss our baby for me.

Your affectionate Husband
C M Amoss



Burkittsville, MD
Mr B.B. Amos Sept 26th 1862
Dear Sir
I came from Baltimore on last Saturday to look after the confederate wounded rough this place on the fight of the 14th. I am sorry to say that among the number I find your son Lieut C M Amos. He was shot through the lungs, the ball striking his spine and causing a paralysis of the lower extremities. From the character of the wound you will appreciate the danger to which he was now exposed. He has and will confine to receive my attention. You will be gratified I am sure to learn that in view of speech he is calm & resigned. I have been much with him & he seems to place his reliance upon our blessed Rescuer who I . . . will accept his reliance & comfort him with the presence of his holy spirit even until the end. I shall remain with him until the crisis is over & should he die will see that he is interred in such a way as to justify at some future time his removal. He sends his warmest love to you all & especially his dear wife and little boy. I give you his exact words when I say “ Keep up good hearts, I am in God’s hands.” May God bless and comfort you all
Yours most-truly
H Stringfellow
Minister of Protestant-Episcopal Church

Crampton's Gap: Twilight Assault

(VI Corps assault at Crampton's Gap, Harpers Weekly)

In the late afternoon and early evening of the 14th of September, Major General William B. Franklin's massive VI Corps, numbering roughly 12,000 men made the attack that would prove to be the tipping point in Lee's invasion of Maryland. Opposing him was a ragtag Confederate force of infanry, cavalry, and artillery that numbered at the most 2,000 men but unfortunately for the Confederates, these men were not all present at the gap at any given moment.

In the early morning hours of the 14th, with orders in hand from the Army of the Potomac's commander George B. McClellan, the VI Corps under the command of Major General William B. Franklin breaks camp about 3 miles east of Jefferson, Maryland and begins the march towards Burkittsville, Maryland at the base of South Mountain. The orders in Franklin's possession call for him to lead his corps against Crampton's Gap with the goal of capturing it, advancing on Rohrersville, and advancing into the rear of Confederate General's Lafeyette McLaws division on Maryland Heights lifting the siege situation at Harpers Ferry.

Franklin's Corps numbers about 13,000 men of all arms and it is divided into two divisions under Major General's Henry Slocum and William F. Smith and a third division under Major General Darius Couch that has been attached. The division's of Slocum and Smith arrive in Jefferson about mid-morning and Franklin orders a halt to allow Couch's division a chance to catch up with the rest of the corps. After a waiting a couple hours, Franklin recieves word the Couch is to far to the rear to hold up the march any longer so he orders the corps to advance on Burkittsville where they'll arrive around noon. Once the VI Corps reaches Burkittsville, Franklin allows his men to have lunch while he confers with his division and brigade commanders about the plan for the assault.

Meanwhile, up on the mountain, a small Confederate brigade under Brigadier General Paul Semmes was in position at Brownsville Pass about a mile south of Crampton's Gap. It was here the Semmes believed the main effort to relieve Harpers Ferry would be attempted and with this think he placed his brigade here along with Light Battery A, 1st North Carolina Artillery under Captain Basil Manley, the Richmond Fayette Artillery under Lieutenant William Clopton, and the Magruder Light Artillery under Captain Thomas Page, Jr. Semme's artillery support consisted of 8 pieces. Semme's posted the 10th Georgia Infantry on the Rohrersville Road as a picket and on the 13th, the brigade of Colonel William Parham was ordered by General McLaws to report to Semmes. Upon arriving, Semmes order Parham, along with his artillery support, to Crampton's Gap to support the cavalry brigade of Colonel Thomas Munford and Captain Roger Chews battery of Horse Artillery. To finish out the Confederate forces that would participate in the defense of Crampton's Gap, McLaws ordered the brigade of Howell Cobb to encamp on the western base of South Mountain to support Semmes and Munford if called upon.

At Crampton's Gap, Colonel Thomas Munford was in command of the 2nd and 12th Virginia Cavalry, two extremely undersized cavalry regiments and the battery of Captain Roger Chew's Horse Artillery. Munford had set up pickets along the road leading from Jefferson, Maryland and has the VI Corps advanced, Union Cavalry pushed Munford's pickets back to Burkittsville and eventually Munford pulled his men, numbering 200 at the most, back to a stonewall along the Mountain Church Road at the base of South Mountain to face the coming Union attack. Chew's horse artillery and the artillery posted at Brownsville Pass fired upon the Union forces as they began to move out of Burkittsville. The arrival of Parham's brigade, the 6th, 12th, and 16th Virginia and the Portsmouth Artillery helped raise the Confederate number to 800 along the stonewall but it was still woefully to few to combat an entire corps of Union infantry. Munford sends out couriers to Semmes and Cobb calling for their assistance.

In Burkittsville, Franklin's men are under the fire from Brownsville Pass and this fire causes Franklin to believe that the mountain is heavily fortified by the Confederates. With the elevation of the mountain, the use of artillery against the gap is futile and he resorts to a head-on infantry assault. He plans to use the division of Henry Slocum as the spearhead for the assault while the division of William F. Smith will be in support. Slocum is uncertain about how to go about the assault so he calls upon one of his brigade commanders, Colonel Joseph Bartlett, to devise the plan of attack. Bartlett becomes frustrated with his superiors because of their lack of initiative in planning the attack but, Bartlett is given the final decision on the attack plan. His plan calls for Slocum's division to attack up the right side of the Burkittsville Road leading to the mountain with the divisions three brigades aligned one behind the other. In the front will be his own brigade consisting of the 5th Maine, the 16th, 27th, and 121st New York, and the 96th Pennsylvania regiments, in the second line will be Brigadier General John Newton's brigade (the 18th, 31st, and 32nd New York regiments and the 95th Pennsylvania. In the final line will be the New Jersey Brigade under Colonel Alfred Torbert. To support the assault, Captain Emory Upton's First Division artillery would bombard the Confederate positions along the base of the mountain.

Bartlett's assault kicked off at about 4 o'clock and almost immediately it came under fire from Confederate artillery on the mountain and the Confederates behind the stonewall. Bartlett's brigade's advanced ground to a halt about 300 yards away from the stonewall and the contest just turned into a slugfest between the opposing lines. The brigades of Newton and Torbert were moved to Bartlett's left and right flanks respectively allowing for more firepower to come to bear upon the Confederates. Munford, seeing his men falling all around him, again sent couriers to Semmes and Cobb requesting support. Once General Cobb recieved the Munford's request, he immediately put his brigade ( 16th and 24th Georgia, Cobb's Legion, 15th North Carolina, and Troup (Georgia) Artillery) on the road to Crampton's Gap, about 2 miles from his encampment in Pleasant Valley. The deployment of the two remaining brigades into the front line began to put more and more pressure on Munfords weakening line. The brigade of Colonel Parham began to falter under the Union pressure. Cobb's brigade arrived at the gap a little after 5 o'clock and many of the men let out the high pitch Rebel Yell. Cobb reported to Colonel Munford who informed of him the situation and promptly pulled his cavalry out of the fight. The situation as Cobb arrived was one of extreme peril. The Confederate line had halted the advance of the Union center but, the deployment of Newton's and Torbert's brigades extended the Union flanks and allowed the Confederate flanks to be overlapped. Immediately, Cobb ordered the Cobb Legion and 16th Georgia down the Burkittsville road to support the faltering Confederate Right. He send the 24th Georgia straight down the mountain side to support the center and put the 15th North Carolina into position along the Arnoldstown Road towards the Confederate left. With the arrival of Cobb's men, it seemed the Confederates could hold the gap until nightfall but, Bartlett had different plans for the attack.

At the base of the mountain, Bartlett heard the terrifying sound of the Rebel Yell over the musketry and knew that Confederate reinforcements had arrived at the gap and the issue needed to be pressed at once. He ordered his brigade to fix bayonets and charge the stonewall. With a loud, prolonged shout, as one Union private remembers, Bartlett's brigade rushed forward to the stonewall and instantly, the Confederate line disintegrated. Parham's Brigade broke and retreated back up the mountain. Bartlett's men, along with the Newton's and Torbert's, pushed up the mountain side.

The Cobb Legion under the command of Lieutenant Jefferson M. Lamar, with the 16th Georgia in support, advanced down the mountain side and came upon the men of Parham retreating up the mountainside. Lamar immediately saw Union troops in pursuit and cried to his men to follow him in a counterattack against them. Lamar charged his horse forward and promptly found the maneuver had been foolish and the steep grade of the hillside caused rider and horse to fall to the ground. Lamar, unphased, leapt to his feet and continued leading his men. He put his men into position on the flank of the Union attacking column and unleashed volley after volley into their ranks. Unknown to him, Torbert's brigade had collapsed the Confederate left and was advancing up the Burkittsville Road, right into the right flank and rear of the Cobb Legion. Out of nowhere, the New Jersey Brigage unleashes a volley into the Legion's flank. Lamar knows that he is in a situation that his men cannot stand long against but he must hold because if he retreats, the only way out is through the ranks of the 16th Georgia on his left. A movement back up the mountain would cause further panic and the Confederates would not be able to hold the gap. Lamar is shot in the leg, a severe painful wound, but he refuses the pleas from his subordinates that they should withdraw. Eventually, Lamar agrees to a withdrawal but only on the condition if he could be help to his feet so he could give the order. His staff helps him but just as he's giving the order, he is mortally wounded in the chest. His men gather around him and begin to retreat back up the mountainside taking with the the 16th Georgia. The Confederate grip on the gap is faltering.

Back up at the Gap, Cobb has placed the Troup Artillery in the gap itself with one gun pointed down the Arnoldstown Road and the other down the Burkittsville Road. Also, the 24th Georgia that had advanced straight down the mountainside and run into the same Confederates retreating up the mountain has the Cobb legion. The Georgians retreated in an orderly manner back up the mountain and took up position along the Burkittsville Road. With the 15th North Carolina along the Arnoldstown Road, the Confederates had created a crossfire zone that Union troops would be advancing through. Unfortunately for the Confederates, the New Jersey Brigade, having just routed the Cobb Legion, continued advancing up the Burkittsville Road. They slam into the right flank of the Georgians causing them to panic and break. The 15th North Carolina withdrawals also back to a line forming in a field directly behind the Arnoldstown Road.

With the Confedrates streaming down the mountian, Cobb is frantically attempting to rally what men he can as the Troup Artillery pours double and triple canister into the oncoming Union forces, now nothing but a disorganized mob. Cobb manages to pull together a line but the weight of the Union attack proves to much and it too his routed and pushed down the mountain side. The Troup Artillery retreats frantically down the Burkittsville road into Pleasant Valley but one of their axles on a gun carriage snaps and they are forced to leave it to Union infantry who are right behind them.

By 6:30, the battle is over. Franklin's Corps has captured Crampton's Gap but this only completes a part of McClellan's orders. Franklin was to advanced to Rohrersville cutting off McLaws from Longstreet and Lee in Boonsboro and essentially relieving the siege at Harper's Ferry. Franklin orders his men to go into bivouac at the gap. McLaws recieving word that the gap has fallen, throws up a defensive line across Pleasant Valley awaiting Franklin's attack. It would never come. The next day, Franklin throws out a strong skirmish line to oppose McLaws and Harper's Ferry falls as a result of Franklin not pushing the issue to completion. When Lee recieved word the Confederates had lost the gap, he becomes depressed and sends out orders to his commanders in Maryland to retreat back into Virginia as quickly as possible. In effect, he has ended the Maryland Campaign. Only a messenger from Stonewall Jackson later on the night of the 14th informing Lee that Harpers Ferry will fall does he regain his composure and issue orders for his army to concentrate along the Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Three days later, Lee and McClellan would fight the bloodiest single day battle of the Civil War.

The losses at Crampton's Gap were not as heavy as at the two northern gaps near Boonsboro, Maryland but the fight was more decisive. Franklin's VI Corps lost 530 men in the attack up the slopes. The Confederates losses are uncertain but it is estimated their loss totaled 873 men.