Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, September 14.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) Sept. 14. 

On This Day in Confederate History, Sept. 14.

1862: The Battle of South Mountain in the Sharpsburg/Antietam Campaign. The battle took place at Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's gaps as Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia tried to prevent Maj. Gen. George McClellan's Army of the Potomac from getting through the mountain gaps to catch Lee's army while it was divided. The Federals found Crampton's Gap thinly held by the Confederates and seized it. At Turner's Gap and Fox's Gap, Confederate Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill had 5,000 men who put up a stout defense and battled the Federals to a standstill by nightfall. Lee decided to withdraw that night so his army could concentrate. The Federals lost 433 men killed, 1,807 wounded, and 75 missing. The Confederate losses included 325 killed, 1,560 wounded, and 800 missing.

 

Sgt. Robert M. Jones, Co. C, 3rd Ala.

Inf. Regt. Wounded in the foot at

South Mountain was captured. He was

paroled at Fort McHenry, Md., Sgt. Jones 

was assigned to the clothing depot

at Richmond, Va., in Sept. 1863. He died

on Sept. 15, 1864, at Mobile, Ala.

(Liljenquist Collection/Library of Congress)

 

The Battle of South Mountain, Maryland

On the third day of the Siege of Harper's Ferry, Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson had the Federals in Harper's Ferry surrounded, but the Yankees continued to hold out. However, the siege showed that Gen. Jackson was not only brilliant in his famous flanking maneuvers but also a brilliant tactician at conducting a siege. He carefully placed his artillery in the key locations, Maryland Heights and Loudon Heights. He also had Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's Division moved to the Federal left for a flank attack the next morning. 

Sculpture of Lt. Gen. T.J. "Stonewall Jackson,

"Hammer of the Confederacy" by Rod Mench.

(M.D. Jones Collection)

Confederate General Birthdays, Sept. 14.

None.