South Mountain Part 2
Turner's Gap From the Southeast
This is the view looking northwest toward Turner's Gap, on the left, from a road which connects the National Pike to the road that ascends Fox's Gap. As wing commander, Ambrose Burnside was coordinating the efforts of his old IX Corps under Reno and Hooker's I Corps, which had arrived at Turner's Gap and points north. The Black Hat, or Iron Brigade, would advance straight up the gap while the rest of Hooker's corps would attack on the other side of the prominent hill visible here.
Turner's Gap
The main road shown here from left to right is the National Pike climbing up Turner's Gap, the crest of which is near the church on the right. The Confederates defended the gap from further down the mountain and were unsuccessfully attacked by John Gibbon's Black Hat Brigade. Although it is frequently said that the unit earned the title "the Iron Brigade" here, at least one historian's research indicates that the unit was so named for its marching.
Hooker's Advance
Confronted by converging fire, Gibbon's attack predictably bogged down. Further north, however, the rest of Hooker's corps attacked in this area. With Rickett's division in reserve, Hatch's division attacked generally to the left of this road, now called the Dahlgren Road, while Meade's division attacked to the right of this road. D.H. Hill had sent Rodes's 1,200 man brigade to stop Meade's 4,000 men. Although the terrain was difficult and the resistance strong, the Yankees found the Confederate flank and managed to rout the defenders. But fresh Confederate troops would enter the area and stop the Union advance.
Dahlgren Road Looking South
This is the view looking south toward Turner's Gap, which was attacked directly by Gibbon's brigade. You can see that the low ground Gibbon advanced over was vulnerable to converging fire. With the Confederate left at the gap threatened by Meade and Hatch, arriving troops of Longstreet's command were sent up this road from Turner's Gap to face the attacking Yankees.
Hatch Halted at Strange's Field
This is the view from further north on Dahlgren Road looking east and south. Fox's Gap, where the battle had begun, I believe is the area in front of the prominent round mountaintop in the right-center of the picture.
Although the Federals of Hatch's division had advanced up the mountain unopposed, as they neared the top, they encountered the just then arriving men of Longstreet's corps, who had advanced up the Dahlgren Road on the right of the picture and into this field, where they took up position behind a stone wall. Col. James Strange of the 19th Va., the first Confederate regiment to enter the field, was killed, and the Union divisional commander, Hatch, was wounded. As the day ended, the Federals were not in complete control of Turner's Gap.