and despite the determination with which the attack was pressed, Turner’s Gap was still held when darkness fell. (* The order for the march had been given the night before (The Invasion of Maryland, General Longstreet, Battles and Leaders volume 2 page 666), and there seems to have been no good reason, even admitting the heat and dust, that Longstreet’s command should not have joined him at noon.  The troops marched “at daylight” (5 A.M.), and took ten hours to march thirteen miles.  As it was, only four of the brigades took part in the action, and did so, owing to their late arrival, in very disjointed fashion.  Not all the Confederate generals appear to have possessed the same “driving power” as Jackson.)

The defence of Crampton’s Gap had been less successful.  Franklin had forced the pass before five o’clock, and driving McLaws’ three brigades before him, had firmly established himself astride the summit.  The Confederate losses were larger than those which they had inflicted.  McClellan reports 1791 casualties on the right, Franklin 533 on the left.  McLaws’ and Munford’s loss was over 800, of whom 400 were captured.  The number of killed and wounded in Hill’s and Longstreet’s commands is unknown; it probably reached a total of 1500, and 1100 of their men were marched to Frederick as prisoners.  Thus the day’s fighting had cost the South 3400 men.  Moreover, Longstreet’s ammunition column, together with an escort of 600 men, had been cut up by the cavalry which had escaped from Harper’s Ferry, and which had struck the Hagerstown road as it marched northward into Pennsylvania.  Yet, on the whole, Lee had no reason to be chagrined with the result of his operations.  McClellan had acted with unexpected vigour.  But neither in strategy nor in tactics had he displayed improvement on his Peninsular methods.  He should have thrown the bulk of his army against Crampton’s Gap, thus intervening between Lee and Jackson; but instead of doing so he had directed 70,000 men against Turner’s Gap.  Nor had the attack on Hill and Longstreet been characterised by resolution.  The advanced guard was left unsupported until 2 P.M., and not more than 30,000 men were employed throughout the day.  Against this number 8000 Confederates had held the pass.  Cobb, one of McLaws’ brigadiers, who commanded the defence at Crampton’s Gap, though driven down the mountain, had offered a stout resistance to superior forces; and twenty-four hours had been gained for Jackson.  On the other hand, in face of superior numbers, the position at Turner’s Gap had become untenable; and during the night Hill and Longstreet marched to Sharpsburg.

September 15.