The National tribune., 1907-12-19

| stores in Harper's Ferry. and crossed
, the river to fpin Lee. He was polite
: enough, not 10 interfere with the gen.
tlemen in gry in any manner what
ever, for which they felt duly thankful
no doubt andshe ranks with Mcclellan
in theiroestimafion as one of the great.
est of Union. Generals.
The'lBatde of South Mountain.
The hight, Of Sept IA saw all the
army except lF1ranklin's Corps closed III
in the beautiful valley lying between
the South Mountain and the Catoctir
Range. In the center or this little val.
ley is the homely old agricultural vii
lage of, Middletown. Tho Mcclellan
knew that across South Mountain, in
could be only Longstreet's and Hills
Corps, with Stuart's cavalry. yet he ad-
vanced with the utmost deliberation
keeping his force well in hand, in tim
orous apprehension of some terrible
blow.
The only Union aggressiveness seem
ed to be on the part of Pleasonton, who,
as befitted a cavalryman, was dashihG
forward. picking quarrel with Stuarts
cavalry wherever he could find them
stationed along the roads over South
Mountain.
The orders were for the First Corps,
now commanded by Hooker; the Sec
Onu, uuutT sumner, ana tHe IWtliti'
under Mansfield, to continue their
march by the main turnpike from South
Mountain to BoonsborO, at the foot of
| the mountain on the western side.
Burnside, with the Ninth Corps under
the command of Gen. Reno, and Sykes s
Division were to take the old rough
road a mile or so south of the main
turnpike. and come down the noun
| tain in a position to either march to
the cnnnnrt nf Fra K lin n the right
wing of the army, as circumstances
might indicate.
1t must be remembered all the time
| that facts in McClellan's possession
should have shown him that while he
| had 80 brigades in the four corps on
| the right, Longstreet and d. H. Hill
| had only IA brigades to oppose him.
Only moderate expedition would be re-
quired to crush these before help could
possibly reach them from the farthest
side of the Potomac. The force around
Harper's Ferry could not possibly reach
the others in less than "a hours.
Drifting Into Battle.
There was no plan or preconceived
arrangement about the battle of South
| Mountain. Mcclellan, with Reno and
| Burnside, was several miles in the rear
while the battle was being fought, and
| no one of them made his personal in
lueHce OF management evident dI any
stage of the conflict. on Sept. / 3 Pleas
onton had driven Stuart's rear guard
| thru Turner's Gap until it reached
LOngstreetS infantry at BoonsborO.
Pleasonton returned to report what he
had done and discovered, and proposed
to renew his operations in the morning,
but asked that a brigade of infantry be
sent along to help his cavalry out in the
event of running afoul of the Confeder-
infantry made his 1nnIip1 tinn
to Reno, commanding the Ninth Corps,
to which had been attached Cox's Di
vision from the Kanawha Valley. Cox
says that no one had expected d battle
at South Mountain. When Pleasonton
applied for The brigade he designated
particularly the one commanded by his
friend and classmate, Col. Geo. Crook.
Gen. <. P. Scammon, however, claimed
that it was his turn or duty, and as
serted his right to go with Pleasonton.
The matter was referred to Cox, and
possibly Reno. who decided in favor of
Scammon,, who began moving out his
brigade in support of Pleasonton, and
Crook. al Plcasonton's instance, took
his brigade along also. AS the bigger
part Of his division WAS going, Cox felt
it incumbent. upon him to accompany
them with his remaining brigade.
Longstreet- had taken his corps to
Hagerstqwn. 13 miles from PoonSboro,
and -. II. Hill was left behind to guard
the wagon trains and artillery of Lees
whole army. He was also TO watch
the roads; leading to Harper's Ferry,
lending a hand. if need be- to McLaws.
As before stated. Stuart had fallen back
before Pleasonton's rapid pursuit until
he reached HITS infantry. Stuart asked
Hill for two brigades of infantry to
push Pieasonton back, and Hill sent
him those of Colquitt and Garland, with
-
become somewhat anxious about Har-
per's Ferry, and directed Hill to go in
person to South Mountain and superin-
tend its defense. When Hill arrived
there, about sunrise on Sept IA, he
found that Stuart had gone off to
Crampton's Gap. leaving the Infantry
to hold Turner's Cap Garlands Bri-
gade was at the old South Mountain
House, while Coiqutt had gone down
the mountain to the eastward, where
lay The insignificant hamlet of Bolivar
Hill brought COlgttitt back to the crest
posted two regiments north Of the pike
behind a stone wall, where they could
have a sweeping fire on the pike, and
three other regiments in an equally good
defensive position south of the pike
He sent Garland mile farther south
to watch the old road which passed
thru Fox's Gap, and Garland who had
five regiments besides some cavalry un-
der ROsser, depIoyed them with similar
advantage behind stone walls and other
natural defenses.
The Fight Opens.
Pleasonton moved with his cavalry
on the Fox road; but developing the
enemy in great strength, it was decided
10 keep his horsemen there to OCCUPY
the enemT's attention, while Scamnon-s
Brigade should make a circuit to the
tnft to tvyy h 10
position.