Battle of Crampton's Gap
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Crampton's Gap (USA) or Battle of Burkittsville (CSA) was a battle fought between forces under Confederate
Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb
and Union
Maj. Gen.
William B. Franklin
as part of the Battle of South Mountain
on September 14, 1862, at Crampton's Gap
in Central Maryland, during the Maryland Campaign
of the American Civil War
.
Franklin's VI Corps attacked a small, hastily assembled Confederate force at Crampton's Gap in South Mountain
to protect the rear of Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws
, who was across Pleasant Valley
on Maryland Heights
taking part in the siege of Harpers Ferry
. Despite inferior numbers, the Confederate force held out throughout the day, taking heavy casualties. By the evening the VI Corps broke the Confederate line and proceeded through the gap into Pleasant Valley. Franklin, however, failed to follow up on his success and did not attack McLaws on Maryland Heights.
Tactically the battle resulted in a Union victory because they broke the Confederate line and drove through the gap. Strategically, the Confederates were successful in stalling the Union advance and were able to protect McLaws's rear.
received a lost copy of Robert E. Lee
's Special Order No. 191, which detailed the Confederate plan of action in Maryland, including the fact that Lee had divided his army and sent a portion to capture Harpers Ferry.
As part of that siege, units under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws were sent to take Maryland Heights and then bombard the Union garrison in the town. To protect his rear flank, McLaws stationed a small guard at Brownsville Gap (a smaller gap a few miles south of Crampton's Gap) and Crampton's Gap, both of which allowed access to Pleasant Valley and the eastern slope of Maryland Heights. The force at Crampton's Gap consisted of one battery of artillery, 3 regiments of infantry under Brig. Gen. William Mahone
, one brigade under Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb, and a small cavalry detachment under Col. Thomas T. Munford
.
McClellan ordered Maj. Gen. William Franklin and his VI Corps to set out for Burkittsville
from his camp at Buckeystown
the following morning at daybreak, with instructions to drive through Crampton's Gap and attack McLaws's rear. Although he sent the order immediately, by allowing Franklin to wait until morning to depart, his order resulted in a delay of nearly 11 hours.
towards them.
When the Federals reached Burkittsville around noon, the Confederate artillery opened up. In Burkittsville, while under artillery fire, Franklin assembled his troops into three columns. At 3 p.m., after a delay of nearly 3 hours, the VI Corps finally began its assault. The reason for the delay has never been ascertained, but it would prove costly. The Union advance was slow and steady, supported by artillery. Their superior numbers quickly overwhelmed the cavalry and artillery on the slopes of the mountain. The retreating Confederates were briefly rallied at the summit by General Cobb, but the weight of the Federal advance was too much. Once the VI Corps reached the summit they drove the Confederates from their positions, inflicting heavy casualties, in just 15 minutes of fighting.
After the Confederate line at the summit broke, the troops scattered in all direction into Pleasant Valley and were thereafter totally unable give any further fight to the Federals. However, before their rout, they had held out for three hours, which, in concert with the delay of the VI Corps getting to and beginning the attack on Crampton's Gap, meant that it was after 6:00 p.m. when Franklin reassembled his men in Pleasant Valley and too late to begin a second attack on McLaws's force on Maryland Heights. The following day Harpers Ferry surrendered to the Confederates, while Franklin sat camped in Pleasant Valley, convinced he was outnumbered by McLaws by nearly two to one.
Tactically, the Federals were successful in driving the Confederates from the gap, the first time any portion of Lee's army had been driven from the field up until this point in the war, and were able to inflict heavy casualties in doing so. Strategically, the Confederate force was able to stall the Federal advance for three hours despite being outnumbered nearly six to one. The delay was long enough to ensure the safety of McLaws on Maryland Heights and capture of Harpers Ferry the following morning.
More significantly, after seizing Crampton's Gap, General Franklin failed to attack McLaws and allowed Stonewall Jackson
's Corps to reunite with the main body of the Confederate army at Sharpsburg
without a fight, setting the stage for the Battle of Antietam
three days later. There Lee hastily stood his ground in the war's bloodiest day. President Abraham Lincoln
used the marginal Union victory at Antietam as a justification for announcing his Emancipation Proclamation
.
. The Crampton's Gap Historic District
was designated on January 12, 2011, comprising the mountain around Crampton's Gap and Brownsville Gap, the town of Burkittsville, and surrounding landscape.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb was an American political figure. A Southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the House from 1849 to 1851...
and Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
William B. Franklin
William B. Franklin
William Buel Franklin was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable early battles in the Eastern Theater.-Early life:William B. Franklin was born in York,...
as part of the Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
on September 14, 1862, at Crampton's Gap
Crampton's Gap
Crampton's Gap, also known as Crampton Gap, is a wind gap on South Mountain in Maryland.The gap connects Burkittsville in the Middletown Valley to the east with Gapland and Rohrersville in the Pleasant Valley to the west....
in Central Maryland, during the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Franklin's VI Corps attacked a small, hastily assembled Confederate force at Crampton's Gap in South Mountain
South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is the northern extension of the Blue Ridge Mountain range in Maryland and Pennsylvania. From the Potomac River near Knoxville, Maryland in the south, to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania in the north, the long range separates the Hagerstown and Cumberland valleys from the Piedmont regions of...
to protect the rear of Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws
Lafayette McLaws
Lafayette McLaws was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, who was across Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley (Maryland)
Pleasant Valley is a small valley in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-Geography:The valley is bound by South Mountain to the east, Elk Ridge to the west and the Potomac River to the south. To the north the valley opens up to connect with the Hagerstown Valley near Boonsboro...
on Maryland Heights
Elk Ridge (Maryland)
Elk Ridge is a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Maryland. The ridge is located to the west of South Mountain and runs roughly parallel to it from Rohrersville, in the north, to the Potomac River across from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in the south. Across the Potomac the ridge...
taking part in the siege of Harpers Ferry
Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
. Despite inferior numbers, the Confederate force held out throughout the day, taking heavy casualties. By the evening the VI Corps broke the Confederate line and proceeded through the gap into Pleasant Valley. Franklin, however, failed to follow up on his success and did not attack McLaws on Maryland Heights.
Tactically the battle resulted in a Union victory because they broke the Confederate line and drove through the gap. Strategically, the Confederates were successful in stalling the Union advance and were able to protect McLaws's rear.
Background
On September 13, 1862, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellanGeorge B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
received a lost copy of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's Special Order No. 191, which detailed the Confederate plan of action in Maryland, including the fact that Lee had divided his army and sent a portion to capture Harpers Ferry.
As part of that siege, units under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws were sent to take Maryland Heights and then bombard the Union garrison in the town. To protect his rear flank, McLaws stationed a small guard at Brownsville Gap (a smaller gap a few miles south of Crampton's Gap) and Crampton's Gap, both of which allowed access to Pleasant Valley and the eastern slope of Maryland Heights. The force at Crampton's Gap consisted of one battery of artillery, 3 regiments of infantry under Brig. Gen. William Mahone
William Mahone
William Mahone was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, railroad executive, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Small of stature, he was nicknamed "Little Billy"....
, one brigade under Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb, and a small cavalry detachment under Col. Thomas T. Munford
Thomas T. Munford
Thomas Taylor Munford was an American farmer and Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
.
McClellan ordered Maj. Gen. William Franklin and his VI Corps to set out for Burkittsville
Burkittsville, Maryland
Burkittsville is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Burkittsville is located at ....
from his camp at Buckeystown
Buckeystown, Maryland
Buckeystown is an unincorporated community in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Buckeystown Historic District and Buckingham House and Industrial School Complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Carrollton Manor was listed in 1997.Current member of Congress...
the following morning at daybreak, with instructions to drive through Crampton's Gap and attack McLaws's rear. Although he sent the order immediately, by allowing Franklin to wait until morning to depart, his order resulted in a delay of nearly 11 hours.
Battle
The small Confederate force used the terrain to its maximum advantage with Munford's cavalrymen initially stationed at the eastern base of the mountain, the artillery halfway up its slope, and the infantry entrenched at the summit. From their vantage point on the mountain they watched throughout the morning as Franklin's VI Corps marched across the Middletown ValleyMiddletown Valley
Middletown Valley, also historically known as Catoctin Valley, is a valley in western Frederick County in the state of Maryland.-Geography:...
towards them.
When the Federals reached Burkittsville around noon, the Confederate artillery opened up. In Burkittsville, while under artillery fire, Franklin assembled his troops into three columns. At 3 p.m., after a delay of nearly 3 hours, the VI Corps finally began its assault. The reason for the delay has never been ascertained, but it would prove costly. The Union advance was slow and steady, supported by artillery. Their superior numbers quickly overwhelmed the cavalry and artillery on the slopes of the mountain. The retreating Confederates were briefly rallied at the summit by General Cobb, but the weight of the Federal advance was too much. Once the VI Corps reached the summit they drove the Confederates from their positions, inflicting heavy casualties, in just 15 minutes of fighting.
After the Confederate line at the summit broke, the troops scattered in all direction into Pleasant Valley and were thereafter totally unable give any further fight to the Federals. However, before their rout, they had held out for three hours, which, in concert with the delay of the VI Corps getting to and beginning the attack on Crampton's Gap, meant that it was after 6:00 p.m. when Franklin reassembled his men in Pleasant Valley and too late to begin a second attack on McLaws's force on Maryland Heights. The following day Harpers Ferry surrendered to the Confederates, while Franklin sat camped in Pleasant Valley, convinced he was outnumbered by McLaws by nearly two to one.
Aftermath
In total, the VI Corps suffered 115 killed, 416 wounded, and 2 missing, for a total of 533 casualties. The Confederate forces suffered 130 killed and 759 wounded, for a total of 887 casualties.Tactically, the Federals were successful in driving the Confederates from the gap, the first time any portion of Lee's army had been driven from the field up until this point in the war, and were able to inflict heavy casualties in doing so. Strategically, the Confederate force was able to stall the Federal advance for three hours despite being outnumbered nearly six to one. The delay was long enough to ensure the safety of McLaws on Maryland Heights and capture of Harpers Ferry the following morning.
More significantly, after seizing Crampton's Gap, General Franklin failed to attack McLaws and allowed Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's Corps to reunite with the main body of the Confederate army at Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately south of Hagerstown. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
without a fight, setting the stage for the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
three days later. There Lee hastily stood his ground in the war's bloodiest day. President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
used the marginal Union victory at Antietam as a justification for announcing his Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
.
Preservation
The battlefield and a large area to the east were designated a historic district on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Crampton's Gap Historic District
Crampton's Gap Historic District
The Crampton's Gap Historic District comprises the Civil War-era battlefield involved in the Battle of Crampton's Gap, which took place on September 14, 1862, part of the larger Battle of South Mountain. The district extends on the west to the foot of South Mountain, and to the east of...
was designated on January 12, 2011, comprising the mountain around Crampton's Gap and Brownsville Gap, the town of Burkittsville, and surrounding landscape.