Battle of South Mountain, Maryland

Tried to find a good thread to attach this to. I had not seen this before. Its from the LOC

SM.png
 
My wife Carol and I had a pleasant visit to Turner's Gap and Fox's Gap earlier this year.

We tried to locate the position of the 3rd North Carolina during the battle, because Carol's great great grandfather was a junior officer in that unit during the war. The 3rd never got fully engaged in the Battle of South Mountain, but caught bloody hell a couple days later around the Mumma Farm and into the Cornfield.
 
The Old South Mountain Inn was also George Meade's headquarters on the night of July 8, 1863, during the pursuit of Lee's army after Gettysburg. The 11th Corps artillery deployed in that area to support Buford's dismounted troopers during the Battle of Boonsboro on July 8.

Did you happen to stop and see the Dahlgren Chapel across the road? It was built by Admiral John A. Dahlgren's second wife, Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren, who was a devout Catholic. After the Admiral's death in 1870, she took up residence on South Mountain, and the handsome little chapel she built still stands to this day. It's often used for weddings and the like. The specific piece of ground where it sits was heavily fought over in the September 1862 battle.

The story may be apocryphal, but it is said that Confederate Gen. Sam Garland bled to death on the porch of the South Mountain Inn. He was wounded at the fighting over at Fox's Gap and moved over the Summit Road (now the Appalachian Trail) to the Inn.
 
While on my trip there last month I missed the Washington Monument, thinking it probably had little to do with the battles there, though I knew it had been used as a Federal signal station. Seeing your photos of and from it, I'm sorry I didn't go see it after all!
There is a magnificent view from the Monument, and it is quite impressive.
 
The Old South Mountain Inn was also George Meade's headquarters on the night of July 8, 1863, during the pursuit of Lee's army after Gettysburg. The 11th Corps artillery deployed in that area to support Buford's dismounted troopers during the Battle of Boonsboro on July 8.

Did you happen to stop and see the Dahlgren Chapel across the road? It was built by Admiral John A. Dahlgren's second wife, Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren, who was a devout Catholic. After the Admiral's death in 1870, she took up residence on South Mountain, and the handsome little chapel she built still stands to this day. It's often used for weddings and the like. The specific piece of ground where it sits was heavily fought over in the September 1862 battle.
I took a lot of photos there. It was not open but you can peak in the windows. It has some lovely stained glass.
 
49064f207a7a085ef86e37a10a7960d9.jpg


This is the Zion Lutheran Church, in nearby Middletown, Md. It was used as a hospital for the Union soldiers wounded at South Mountain, and also took some of the overflow casualties from the battle at Antietam.
 

Attachments

  • 49064f207a7a085ef86e37a10a7960d9.jpg
    49064f207a7a085ef86e37a10a7960d9.jpg
    123.4 KB · Views: 31
The story may be apocryphal, but it is said that Confederate Gen. Sam Garland bled to death on the porch of the South Mountain Inn. He was wounded at the fighting over at Fox's Gap and moved over the Summit Road (now the Appalachian Trail) to the Inn.
I've seen several accounts that indicate the story is true. A couple bios of Garland follow. Garland was wounded while bending over Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ruffin, Jr., the commander of the 13th North Carolina, who had been seriously wounded moments before. The fatal shot entered the center of his back and exited above his right breast, there was little that could have been done to save him.

http://mountainaflame.blogspot.ca/2010/05/most-fearless-man-i-ever-knew.html
http://www.historynet.com/confederate-general-samuel-garland.htm
 
Wife and I hiked the AT for 10 miles last Sunday. Just getting around to making a post about it. I think she figured out I had alterer motives when we drove the 1 hour from the Balt burbs out west and that there would be ACW involved. Parked at the Old South Mountain Inn (Mountain House) at Turners Gap and proceeded south to Fox's Gap for ~1.2 miles. Saw the monuments there, and went for the excursion to the NC monument which was farther than I expected. Then proceeded back to the AT for another 1.8 miles south where we crested a mountain and turned around and walked about the 3 miles or so to Turners Gap, but kept going to the Washington Monument. Stopped there for photos, then turned around back to the car. All in all I think it was about ~10 miles.

As it was hot as "h-e-double hockey sticks" and we started at 7:45am, we were done by 11:15. It was at a good clip we walked. Then checking my phone for the first time back at the car, I found South Mountain creamery wasn't open until noon, so we drove to Crampton's Gap until then. For those wanting to know I think the South Mountain Inn opens for brunch on Sundays but has odd hours otherwise. We didn't risk going in and literally "stinking up the joint."

There were two houses/museums open at Cramptons - one for Mr. Townsend, and other with CW artifacts and a theme of "being a war correspondent." I didn't know there were any museums around the battlefields so I was very happy. And my wife was happy to get into the A/C. But the gnats were out in full force around Crampton's gap, probably because of the heat and our stench from hiking 10 miles! So we drove off to South Mountain creamery where I had double ice cream!

During the walk from Turner's to Fox's I made a comment that this was a path soldiers used to be shuffled from area to area. She came away impressed as the terrain wasn't easy, and we were only carrying backpacks with water and granola bars! I think I will post photos in another post, since this was lengthy enough.

The AT is beautiful. For those wishing to go from Turner's Gap to Fox's is a relatively mild hike of 1.2 miles and you come face to face with the fields the 17 MI crossed. Continuing the 1.8 miles south of Fox's was more difficult and if felt all uphill, and steep in parts. (I think its about 7 miles on the AT from Fox's Gap south to Cramptons). From Turners to Washington Monument was also uphill and the combination of it being hot and toward the end of our hike, I was just happy when we got to the monument. I am ready to go back already and explore more!
 
On this day in 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s exhausted troops hold off the pursuing Federals by closing two passes through Maryland’s South Mountain, allowing Lee time to gather his forces further west along Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg.
 
On this day in 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s exhausted troops hold off the pursuing Federals by closing two passes through Maryland’s South Mountain, allowing Lee time to gather his forces further west along Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg.
The third pass, Crampton's Gap was the problem. Franklin's command overwhelmed the heavily outnumbered men of Cobb's Brigade and threatened the rear of McLaw's command on Maryland Heights. Lee withdrew to Sharpsburg to allow his army to reunite more easily.
 
Back
Top