Battle of South Mountain

Overview

The Battle of South Mountain, known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of South Mountain was a component engagement of the Maryland Campaign, in which Union forces under McClellan pressed against Confederate positions holding three passes through South Mountain: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. The engagement involved three separate pitched battles for control of these passes, with Confederate forces under Lee and D. H. Hill contesting a Union force that outnumbered them by roughly 10,000 men. Confederate casualties slightly exceeded Union losses despite the defenders' positional advantage. The battle is known in some early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, reflecting the geographic stakes of the contest over mountain passage routes during Lee's incursion into Maryland.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)