September 14th 1862
Lee's goal was to sever rail lines north of Washinton and secure supplies for his men. Dividing his army, he sent Jackson to capture Harper's Ferry while Longstreet occupied Hagerstown. A copy of Lee's order, left at D.H. Hill's campsite, was found by union soldiers wrapped in an envelope with three cigars. The little details are always interesting for me. After learning of Lee's plans, McClellan quickly set to pursue Lee while his forces were divided. Lee sent enforcements to South Mountain to deter the Union advance until Jackson and Longstreet could join Lee. By dusk, Crampton's Gap was lost and positions at Fox's and Turner's Gaps were precarious. McClellan's inactivity during the 15th gave Jackson the needed time to capture the garrison at Harper's Ferry and for Lee to unite the scattered divisions before the Battle of Antietam on the 17th.
Battle of South Mountain (Boonesboro) Statistics
Side | Total Men | Killed | Wounded | Missing |
Union | 28,000 | 443 | 1,807 | 75 |
Confederate | 18,000 | 325 | 1,560 | 800 |
Lee's Divided Army Map
South Mountain Battle MapColquitt's Brigade
Henry Caneega, under Colquitt's command, was at Turner's Gap near the Mountain House. Photo of house is below.
Battle of South Mountain Placards
Facing South
Eastview
Northview
Views from Turner's Gap Historical Site just south of the Mountain House.
Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The confederates probably used these parts of the Appalachian Trail to travel between Hill and Jones' locations.
The Mountain House
Dahlgren's Chapel
Dahgren's Chapel
The Mountain House, now known as the Old South Mountain Inn, was founded as early as 1732. I thought it ironic that Henry was in Washington County, MD. By the late 1700s, pioneers used the inn as a stopping point when traveling west. John Brown, the abolitionist, in 1859 used the tavern as a staging point to overthrow federally sanctioned slavery. D.H. Hill used the inn as his headquarters during the Battle of South Mountain. After the civil war, visitors to the tavern declined, due in large to the railway system. Madeline Vinton Dahlgren purchased the inn as her private residence. In 1881, Mrs Dahlgren had the chapel built. It's still used today as a wedding venue. She passed away in May of 1898 and is interred in the family crypt inside the church.