The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-12-19

right, but not in sight. Here cannot help
! giving my testimony TO the skill and great
bravery with which a section of the enemy's
/ artillery was retired down the road mentioned.
! Their infantry had ceased firing, and were no
| where in sight, but as i emerged from the
woods | saw the fash of a cannon, which was
within so yards of me and trained toward us,
| the canister bursting in our very faces. 1t was
limbered to tho rear in an instant aud Mt 20
PAGES had passed the other gun of the section.
which delivered its fire, limbercd up and went
scurryng down the road before any but seat
tering fire could be brought against it. The
| last gun was, however slightly disabled, and
| abandoned little farther down the mountain
| upon the appearance of the two regiments of
| Brooks's Vermont Brigade, which had climbed
the mountain on the left of the Burkittsville
road. If the enemy had made stubborn re-
sistance on the crest of the mountain, Gen.
| Brooks would have been on their right flank
aud rear 10 minutes later with his
MAGNIFICENT VERMONT BRIGADE,
and we would have captured the whole Con-
federate command
IL was now late in the twilight threw out
| picket-line, and thus carried out to the letter
the written order of Gen. Sl0cum, commanding
the division. Soon after this was done Gems
4 Franklin, Smith, Slocum, Brooks, Newton and
4 Col. Torbert came riding up the road leading
over the Pass. Seeing them mounted and that
| j had neither staff officer or Orderly with me,
! realized for the irst time that the colt was
riding was powerful felow-tho only horse
that managed to make the ascent with the
! troops. ! Immediately christened him "Cramp-
| ton" Congratulations were generously and
| feelingly exchanged all around and renewed
! confidence expressed in our brave fellows, who
never had failed us when given fair chance.
! Gen. Franklin was greatly pleased with the
result particularly as we could hear the bal
ance of the army pounding away at Turner's
Gap. six miles TO the right of us. They had
evidently not been so successful as we had up
to that hour. 1t was new plainly to be seen
that with Champions Gap in our possession,
Lee would fall back from Turner's Gap if Nc
Clellan had made strong impression upon him
| there; or, il not he would send a force against
Franklin and attempt TO crush him between il
and the corps operating at Harper's Ferry.
The battle had been so vigorously fought, how
ever, at that gap, that it was virtually carried
when night put stop TO the conflict and
when Mcclellan at daylight sought to renew
it he found nothing in front Of him but skir-
mish-lne.
To Us the victory had been complete. There
was nothing in it TO regret but the loss of the
brave and gallent men who had fallen. From
the time the column started up the mountain
10 the utter rout aud confusion of the enemy
no part of the command was driven a step TO
the rear or had fatered for an instant. notwith-
standing the report of Gen. Howell Cobb COM
mandiRg the Confederate troops.
The evidences of complete victory were scat
tered around us; knapsacks, haversacks aud
blankets were
ABANDONED BY THE ENEMY
in their fight.
Gen. Hancock witnessed the charge up the
mountain from his position in reserve, aud al
though he could not see the troops. he saw the
smoke circling above the trees nearer and
nearer the summit. As our lines assembled he
exclaimed, IL is the poetry of war!"
We had captured 400 prisoners from IL diff
ferent organizations. 200 stand of arms, one
piece OF artillery and three stand Of colors.
A soldier OF the 18th n. Y. brought flag to
me which he had captured on the charge. 1t
was fastened TO staff which had been cut in
the woods-a small sapling, which bullet had
nearly cut in two. IL was banner with a
streamer above il, and had evidently been pre-
sented TO the Legion. IL was of beautiful silk,
with gold letters, but the banner was frayed
out with hard usage and time, and the strcamer
SO much whipped off at the end that only the
word . Lord" in large gold letters remained
OF some former motto. Below, on the banner,
read "CObbs Legion" The inseription as Il
appeared then read "Lord Cobb's Legion !"
The soldier said, with broad smile, Colonel,
I've got his flag, but i didn't catch his Lord
ship"
Surgeons cared for more than 300 of their
wounded who were left upon the field. Our
losses were-in the New Jersey Brigade Cror-
bertsl, aggregate, l72 killed aud wounded in
my brigade, including the two regiments Gen.
Newton sent me l32d and 18th N. ", 322;
without these, PIT. Gen. EewtOn's loss in his
other two regiments (95th Pa and 3lst n. VI.
ls; including three regiments sent 10 me- I24
IN the Vermont Brigade (Gen. Brooks, Smiths
Division), 10; making total. including one loss
in General staG. OF 533 killed and wounded
The loss OF the COnfederates cannot be given
by regiments or even brigades for many of
their reports include both Crampton's Gap and
Antietam, and il is impossible 20 separate them.
Cen Howell Cobb says in his report of tha
action OF Champions Pass, "ofthe number who
went into battle there are now missing aud un-
accounted for over 800. The larger portion Of
this number is believed 10 be prisoncrz." The
Importance OF this pass in the South Mountains
to Gen. Lee at the time the orders were given
TO defend il, can be shown by another extract
from the report Of Gen. Cobb: "a received
message from you through your Assistant Ad- |
Jutant-ienerai, Mai. Mcintosh, that / must
hold the Gap IL il cost the life of every man In
my command" To carry out this order lac had
Brighten. Mahone's Brigade, commanded by
Col. Parhami the brigade OF Brig Gen. Paul
). Semmes Tive regiments, and his own brigade.
two regiments Of dismOunted cavalry (thc I'd
eAN A~NA IOl. M uU-
ford, aud ii pieces OF artillery; making In all
ID regiments and IL guns. The dismounted
cavalry were armed with rifles Col Munford
says. in his report Of the battle OF Cramptop's
Pass. The cavalry I'D and 10Th Val behaved
spiendidiy under the fire they were placed, and
did good service with their rifles" The force
that charged aud carried the Pass consisted Of
three brigades-l2 regiments The two regi.
nents OF Smiths Division Brookss Brigade,
which ascended the mountain on the left OF
BurkittsYille, only came Ia contact with a few
OF the cnemy's skirmishers at the base Of the
mountain, and suffered a loss Of I9 killed and
wounded. The attacking and the attacked
brigades had participated Ia all the battles of
the Peninsniar campaign and the Pope cam
paign near Washington, and bad suffered i'm
them great losses, 30 imagine that neither had
much ~ any advantage in point Of numbers In
regimenis Our bigRdes had not received any
recruits or returned prisoners. wounded OF con.
valesccnts since they left the front of Richmond.
and presume the Confederates had not reL
ceiFed any reinioreements from these SOURCES.
lNoTE-Ihe Official Records of the Rebellion
show the Union losses at Crhmpion's Pass 10 have
been I've officers and l0s killed 10 officers
ing, making total Of 533 easuaItiea The Confed-
eraie loss cannot be stated their reports include
the casualties of Crnmpton'M Pass aud AuLetaIn -
EDITOR NATIONAL TEIBUsEl
Report of Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin, " "A,
commanding Sixth Corps, Of The battle Of Cramp-
LDgbs pdES