Battle at South Mountain - A Natural Barrier - Middletown, MD
N 39° 29.063 W 077° 37.200
18S E 274669 N 4373808
This markers tells the story of the Battle of South Mountain on September 14, 1862. The interpretive, part of a set of three, is located along the National Road/Route 40 and part of the Antietam Campaign 1862 interpretive series.
Waymark Code: WMD79Y
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 11/29/2011
Views: 4
These markers are fantastic and can be fond all along the National Pike/Route 40. There are three signs here, all side by side, overlooking the highway. This particular marker is a compliment to the standard Antietam marker, which is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails marker series. This marker is located in the parking lot for the Old South Mountain Inn and really close to the Frederick and Washington County line. I found an Appalachian Trail marker as it passes a few feet from the marker, crossing over the highway and continuing into the woods. Of the three markers this one is in the middle.
These interpretives are similar to the ones not too far away in Gettysburg. They are held horizontally in place by a thick, black, metal frame, about 3-4 feet off of the ground and angled just right for easy viewing. The marker displays three pictures of a modern day living historian wearing standard Confederate field gear of the day. The text reads:
The Battle of South Mountain erupted on September 14, 1862, when elements of the Union army tried to drive the Confederate rear guard from Crampton’s, Fox’s, and Turner’s Gaps and break through to the western side of the mountain to attack Confederates there. When Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia marched into Maryland earlier in the month, he was looking for supplies and recruits for a possible invasion of Pennsylvania. He hoped while resting men at Frederick that the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry would flee and leave his lines of communication and transportation unhindered. When the garrison stayed put, however, threatening his rear, Lee issued Special Orders No. 191 to divide his army and send Stonewall Jackson with about half of the army to capture Harpers Ferry. Lee marched over South Mountain, using it as a screen to help conceal the remainder of his troops and keep Gen. George B. McClellan’s pursuing Army of the Potomac at bay. But then the Federals found a dropped copy of Special Orders No. 191, and it became especially critical for the outnumbered Confederates to hold South Mountain passes until Jackson completed his mission and rejoined them. The day-long battle, it turned out, gave the Confederates just time enough.
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Historical Marker Database