Turner's Pass Tablet #5 - Boonsboro, MD - American Civil War Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com

In 1897 the War Department erected six cast iron tablets which described the Battle of South Mountain. At that time a person could read them and not even have to get out of their horse drawn buggy. Kind of hard to imagine a time when automobiles did not use this road, but it is true, when these tablets were placed, horses were the main way to get around these parts. I had to get out of car and walk a bit in some nasty summer heat to read them as they are far back now, much safer. This is a fun area to visit with so much history, and lots of markers. The Appalachian Trail passes a few feet away. The parking lot for this roadside area is across the street next to the South Mountain Inn.

In 1862, Union and Confederate forces in the early September days leading to Antietam would march along the National Road through the town. The old National Road crosses South Mountain at a point called Turner's Gap. It was at Turner's Gap, along with nearby Fox and Crampton's Gap, that the Battle of South Mountain was waged on September 14, 1862. The battle which was a Union victory is called by some the "Prelude to Antietam" which would occur three days later near Sharpsburg.

 In 1987 (Almost 100 years after they were erected) the Central Maryland Heritage League in cooperation with the National Park Service had the Cast Iron tablets relocated to a safer position. Now the visitor to Turner's Gap can read the tablets without having to worry about being hit by a speeding automobile. At that time it is hoped the visitor will find a better place to come and visit. And perhaps in the quietness of the moment, "in the evening dews and damps," they will witness the march of history, and hear the sounds of days gone by. The whoops of the red men, the tramp of the settlers, the ring of axes as the land was cleared and the National Road was built. Perhaps the visitor can catch a glimpse of marching men, long columns of blue and gray, and officers such as Stonewall Jackson, D.H. Hill, John Buford, and George Meade. SOURCE

Curiously, these tablets, while in the Turner's and Fox's Gaps Historic District, are not mentioned in the nomination form, and therefore do no contribute. They are not even mentioned as non-contributing objects. Weird.

This fifth tablet reads:

During the contest at Fox's Gap, Hooker's (First) Corps was operating east and northeast of this point. The First Corps left the Monocacy at daybreak, passed through Frederick and Middletown and between 3 and 4 P. M., leaving Gibbon's Brigade on the main pike, turned to the right at Bolivar, nearly two miles southeast of this, and, marching on the old Hagerstown road, passed Mt. Tabor Church and formed line about one and a quarter miles east of this, Meade's Division on the right, Hatch's on the left, Ricketts' in reserve. By Hooker's advance, Rodes' Brigade was driven from its position on several prominent mountain peaks, the Union advance gaining ground to the left and front. During the action Longstreet arrived from Hagerstown with reinforcements, the Brigades of Kemper, Garnett and Evans going to Rodes' assistance, but the whole Confederate line east and northeast of this was forced back and at dark the First Corps had possession of the summit, the high ground commanding the road, and threatened the Confederate line of retreat.

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