Battle of Turner's While Franklin was forcing Crampton's Gap, Burnside, with the First and Ninth corps was severely engaged at Turner's Gap. six miles northeast of Cramp ton's. The engagement was most severe at and south of Fox's Gap, a mile or more south of Turner's. and there was a fierce contest north. but as both was for the possession of the main road, which ran through Turner's Gap, this has given the Union name to the battle the Confederates call it the battle of Boons horo. On the night of the 13th Pleasonton, failing to get infantry support, bivouacked in the valley, near the foot of Turner's Gap, and early in the morning pressed his reconnaissance and soon ascertained that the Confederates were in some force in the Gap. Two batteries of artillery were brought up, and opened fire upon Confederate artillery well up in the Gap; and Cox, whose division had bivouacked near Middletown, advanced a short distance on the main road, and then with two brigades marched to the left on the old Sharpsburg road to reach the flank of the Confederate position. As he approached Fox's Gap, one mile south of Turner's, he received artillery fire. D. H. Hill, whose five brigades had been halted near Boonsboro, three miles west of Turner's Gap, when informed by Stuart that Pleasonton was advancing, on the 13th sent two brigades and two batteries back to assist Stuart in checking him. At midnight he received an order from Lee to go in person next morning and assist Stuart. When Hill arrived at the gap before sunrise Stuart had gone to Crampton's Gap and Maryland Heights, leaving Garland's and Colquitt's brigades of Hill's command to de fend the gap. It was not long before Hill became aware that Cox was marching on the road to Fox's Gap, held by Colonel Rosser with a regiment of cavalry and two guns. Gar land's brigade was sent to Fox's Gap, Col quitt's retained at Turner's, and Anderson's ordered up from Boonsboro. Garland has not been long in position before Cox appeared and attacked him; and after a severe fight, in which Garland was killed and Lieut.-Col. R. B. Hayes of the 23d Ohio wounded, Garland's brigade was routed, and Cox gained the crest of the mountain, just south of Fox's Gap, but could not seize the gap, for at the moment of his victory G. B. Anderson's brigade came up and formed in front and on his right, covering the road through the gap. Learning from prisoners taken that D. H. Hill, with five brigades, was in his front, and that Lee was hastening from Hagerstown, with Longstreet's command, Cox withdrew his advance parties from the woods into which they had charged, and forming line just under the crest of the ridge, awaited reinforcements. The first rein forcement was Willcox's division, which came at 2 P. M. and, forming on Cox's right covered the road through Fox's Gap. Meanwhile other Confederate troops had come up and were coming up to form in Cox's front. Hill had called Ripley's and Rodes' brigades from Boonshoro, and thrown Ripley in front of Cox, and Rhodes to a hill north of Turner's Gap. General Lee, leaving Toombs' brigade near Hagerstown, marched back from there with the brigades of G. T. Anderson, Drayton, Kemper. Garnett, Jenkins, Evans and two brigades of Hood's division. After a hot and dusty march of 13 miles, Anderson and Dray ton, first arriving, reached tile field at 3 P. M., and were sent to support Hill's troops at Fox's Gap, and Drayton, on the left of the line thus formed, advancing from the woods at the gap, was encountered by Willcox, defeated and driven from the field with great loss, more than half of his brigade being killed, wounded and captured. Heavy skirmishing followed all along the line, Sturgis's division came up and partly relieved Willcox, and near sunset Gen eral Reno came up, with Rodman's division, one of whose brigades, with a battery, was sent to Cox's extreme left, the other held on the right. Reno rode forward to reconnoiter just to the right of the gap, as Hood's division came up on the Confederate left; there was a scattering fire on both sides; and Reno, commanding the Ninth corps, was killed. At about the same time the right of the Confederate line charged upon the left of Cox's line, held by Fairchild's brigade and Clark's battery, and their quick repulse ended the engagement at Fox's Gap, with the Confederates still holding the gap. The loss of the Ninth corps in this engagement, which continued from 9 A. M. until after sun set, was 157 killed, 691 wounded and 41 missing. The Confederate loss in Cox's front was about 600 killed and wounded and as many more captured.
During the latter part of Cox's engagement at Fox's Gap, General Hooker became severely engaged north of and at Turner's Gap. At daybreak of the 14th Hooker led the First corps from the Monocacy through Frederick and Middletown to Catoctin Creek, where he halted at 1 P. M. for rest and coffee. Under
instructions to attack the heights north of Turner's Gap and create a diversion in favor of Cox, he marched by the National road lead ing over Turner's Gap, turned to the right at Bolivar and marching nearly two miles halted and formed line at the eastern base of South Mountain, about 3.30 P.M.; Meade's division on the right, Hatch's on the left, with Rickett's in reserve. Gibbon's brigade of Hatch's division was left on the National road to advance directly into the gap. In Hooker's front the slopes to the crest of the mountain were very precipitous, rugged and partly wooded, bisected by gorges and small ravines, all presenting difficult ascent to an infantry force, even in the absence of a foe in front. At the time there was a veteran foe in front, well protected by rocks and trees and the numerous stone fences separating the fields. The position to be assaulted was held by the brigades of Rodes, Kemper, Garnett, Evans and Jenkins, all under command of Longstreet. Hooker was very deliberate in his preparations, and it was after 4 P. M. when his line moved forward. Hatch, on the left, made a laborious ascent of the mountain, with frequent halts to draw breath and reform his line; but driving in the Con federate skirmishers, he reached the wooded summit, and after severe fighting. in which he was wounded, succeeded in dislodging the Con federates from the stone fences behind which they had fought, and driving them back to another line. In this he had the assistance of a part of Rickett's division. On Hatch's left Gibbon advanced on the road to the gap, and when near it was checked, after a very stubborn fight, by Colquitt's brigade. It was dark when Hatch and Gibbon ceased fighting, both close up to the gap. On the right Meade's route lay over very broken ground, but cross ing ravines, ascending steep hills and charging stone fences, he drove Rodes' brigade and its support from point to point, as it extended to the left, and finally turning it, swept to the left and reached the highest point of the moun tain, commanding the summit of the gap, the road through it and the narrow open space around the Mountain House, on which Lee's defeated men were crowded in some disorder.
It was dark when this position had been gained and Hooker rested. He had lost 167 killed, 712 wounded and 44 missing. The total Union loss for the possession of Turner's Gap, in cluding Fox's Gap, was 325 killed, 1,403 wounded and 85 missing; the Confederate loss, 248 killed, 1,013 wounded and 662 missing.
The result of the battle was that Lee aban doned his intended invasion of Pennsylvania and ordered an immediate retreat to Virginia. At 8 P. M. he ordered McLaws to abandon his position during the night and recross the Poto mac near Shepherdstown Ford, leaving that ford for Longstreet's and Hill's commands, and about the same hour sent a dispatch to Jack son to march up the Virginia side of the Potomac to Shepherdstown Ford, to protect his crossing. These orders to McLaws and Jackson contemplated the abandonment of operations against Harper's Ferry. The trains, reserve artillery and reserve ammunition train, at Hagerstown, were ordered to cross the Potomac at Williamsport, and Toomb's brigade was ordered to march from Hagers town to Sharpsburg. Between 10 and 11 P.M. Lee's army began its retreat from South Moun tain by way of Boonsboro and Sharpsburg, D. H. Hill leading, with orders to cross the Potomac. While on the march Lee heard that Franklin had carried Crampton's Gap, thus shutting up McLaws in Pleasant Valley, upon which he ordered his column to halt at Keedysville to assist McLaws, who was now ordered to cross Elk Ridge, if possible, and join him at Keedysville or Sharpshurg, or to cross the Potomac at Weverton, below Har per's Ferry. Arriving at Keedysville, he could hear nothing of McLaws, and at daylight, 15 September, resumed his march for Sharpsburg, still hoping that McLaws could elude Frank lin by crossing Elk Ridge. Before reaching Sharpshurg he heard that Harper's Ferry had fallen, and when across the Antietam he re ceived a dispatch from Jackson stating that he would join him at Sharpsburg, upon which he concluded to give McClellan battle at that place, and immediately made dispositions to contest McClellan's passage of the Antietam, until Jackson, Walker, McLaws and Anderson could join him, by marching up the Virginia side of the Potomac. Consult 'Official Rec ords' (Vols. XIX, LI); 'McClellan's Own Story); Palfrey, The Antietam and Fred ericksburg' (New York 1881) ; Allan, of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862' (New York 1867) ; The Century Company's and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol.