Existing comment:
The Battle of South Mountain: Crampton's Gap and Brownsville Pass:
By the evening of September 13, Confederate forces occupy positions at Crampton's Gap, Burkittsville, and Brownsville Pass. At 5:30 am on September 14, the Union 6th Corps moves out of Point of Rocks Maryland and marches north to the town of Jefferson, where they stop and wait for reinforcements. By noon, Union forces are moving towards Burkittsville, their skirmishers exchanging fire with Confederate infantry and artillery. Union Major General William Franklin believes that Confederate forces equal his own. Instead of attacking immediately, he spends four hours planning.
[At 3:30 pm, Confederate reinforcements arrive at Crampton's Gap from Brownsville Pass.] At 4:00, Union 6th Corps attacks and discovers that there are fewer Confederates than they expected. The Confederate line breaks and falls back to the summit. At 5:30, as Union troops pursue them, Confederate reinforcements arrive, file alongside Whipps Ravine and fire. Eventually, Union troops nearly surround them and force them off the mountain. |