at six o'clock, reached the scene of action by nine o'clock, and was ordered forward by Pleasonton by the left to make the attack on Fox's Gap; it was shortly afterward supported by Crook's brigade, the entire division, under Cox, forming the extreme left of the Union line, and being opposed by Garland's brigade and Rosser's cavalry. The struggle at this point lasted until about noon, resulting to the advantage of the Union troops. In the meantime Reno's and Hooker's corps were hastening to the front, the former being directed to the left of the main gap and the latter to the right. Willcox's division of Reno's corps was the first to arrive after the lull in the battle caused by Cox's success over Garland, and it was finally posted on the right of Cox and on the left of the Sharpsburg road, after some time lost in executing contradictory orders of superior commanders. Later came Sturgis's and Rodman's divisions, having left their camps five miles back at one o'clock and reaching the battlefield at half past three o'clock. Reno was directed to move them up to the crest held by Cox, and Willcox, as soon as he was informed that Hooker's corps was attacking on the right, was well advanced up the mountain.

Hooker, marching from the Monocacy at daylight, reached Middletown at one o'clock, and was directed to attack by the old Hagerstown road, making thus a diversion in favor of Reno. With Meade's division on the right, Hatch's on the left, and Rickett's in reserve, the front covered by a strong body of skirmishers, the corps moved forward to the attack.

Considering now the Confederate dispositions at Turner's Gap, it may be said that Stuart's sturdy resistance on the 13th enabled Hill to send back Garland's and Colquitt's brigades to defend the gap, which they occupied that night. The next morning Hill sent forward his three remaining brigades, G. B. Anderson's coming to the support of Garland before the battle with Cox had lulled in the forenoon. This lull, which lasted for two hours, enabled Hill to get the other two brigades of Rodes and Ripley into posi

tion, the former to support Garland and the latter to defend the approaches by way of the old Hagerstown road to the north of the main gap at Turner's. Soon after three o'clock Longstreet's brigades, after their long and dusty march, began to arrive on the field, and as soon as possible were placed in position. Drayton's and G. T. Anderson's, the first to arrive, were directed to the south side of the turnpike, then the most critical position; and later, Longstreet having arrived, Evans's, followed by Kemper's, Garnett's, and Jenkins's brigades, were sent to re-enforce Rodes on the north side of the turnpike. The main advance was made by the Union troops at about four o'clock and was desperately resisted by the Confederates. At nightfall the key of the pass on the north was in Hooker's possession, and although the Confederates still held the gap, their position was untenable, and they retreated to Boonsborough during the night.

The Union losses on the 14th were eighteen hundred and thirteen at Turner's and five hundred and thirty-three at Crampton's Gap, the greater portion of which may justly be regarded as the penalty exacted by the procrastination of the commanding general of the Union army.

A few words now with regard to the military blunder committed by the Union troops at Harper's Ferry. Here, by the 13th of September, Jackson had shut in some twelve thousand Union troops, whose position was untenable as soon as the enemy gained possession of Loudoun and Maryland Heights. The latter, after a slight resistance, were shamefully abandoned on the 14th by the officer commanding, Colonel Ford, and the former, not having been occupied by the Union troops, were readily seized by Walker's division the same day. Although the commander of the United States forces, Colonel D. S. Miles of the regular army, had been directed to hold his position to the last, his efforts were weak in the extreme, and the troops and position were surrendered at about half past eight on the morning of the 15th, an act which at once released

the greater portion of the twenty-six Confederate brigades detached for its capture. This enabled Jackson to return to Lee and bring with him a considerable portion of his troops to assist his chief out of the serious predicament which at that time threatened him.

On the 15th Lee retired with the fourteen brigades of Longstreet's and D. H. Hill's commands to the environs of Sharpsburg, receiving while on the way the grateful news of the capture of Harper's Ferry, and here he determined to make a stand against McClellan, hoping to be able to gather his widely detached forces in time to receive battle. By imperative orders the march of his detached divisions was hastened. Jackson's own division, under D. R. Jones, starting from Harper's Ferry at I A. M. on the 16th, reached Boteler's Ford at sunrise, reported for orders, and after a two hours' rest was assigned to its place in line of battle on the left of Hood; Ewell's division, then commanded by Lawton, also reported early in the morning of the 16th, and was placed on Lawton's left; while Walker's two brigades, leaving Loudoun Heights and crossing the Shenandoah on the afternoon of the 15th, arrived early on the 16th. These three divisions brought an accession of ten brigades to the fourteen that Lee had on the afternoon of the 15th, and thus lessened the great disparity of force then existing between the two combatants. There were, however, still absent from the Confederate army the ten brigades of McLaws's command and the six of A. P. Hill's. The former, withdrawing from Pleasant Valley during the night and early morning of the 16th, reached Sharpsburg by sunrise of the 17th and were most opportunely immediately put to work, while Hill, leaving only one brigade to finish the necessary operations of completing the surrender, marched with his remaining five at 7.30 A. M. on the 17th, and reached the battlefield with the head of his column at half past two in the afternoon, in time to oppose the farther advance of the Ninth Corps. The rapid marches of these brigades undoubtedly produced a great amount of straggling

among the Confederate soldiers, and would account in a great measure for the diminished strength that is claimed by their military authorities as the aggregate that stood up so bravely against the superior force of McClellan's army on the 17th. Nevertheless one can not help but pay a just tribute to the endurance of these courageous veterans of Lee's army, and recognize that their success was due as much to their expeditious marching under such adverse circumstances, as to their superb fighting qualities and the magnificent leadership of their general.

In striking contrast were the advancing movements of McClellan's superior army. On the morning of the 15th it was soon evident that the Confederates had abandoned the position at Turner's Gap, and the pursuit was at once undertaken by Pleasonton's cavalry and the divisions of Richardson and Sykes. McClellan's orders were to attack the enemy should they be found in retreat, but if in position to await his arrival. But they made no stand until they reached the other side of Antietam Creek, where Lee's artillery brought the pursuing divisions to a halt. In the meantime Franklin, overawed by the inferior force of McLaws, and concluding from the cessation of the artillery fire at Harper's Ferry that the latter place had fallen, did nothing but report his position to McClellan, and without an effort on his part allowed McLaws to make good his escape on the south bank of the Potomac by way of Harper's Ferry bridges. Very slowly did the remainder of the Army of the Potomac advance to the borders of Antietam Creek, and the advantageous opportunity of an aggressive action against Lee's small force on the afternoon of the 15th was lost. But certainly there was every reason to expect that this delay should not extend beyond the forenoon of the next day.

Burnside's movements on the 15th were especially provokingly slow.. Ordered at 8 A. M., being then at Bolivar, the headquarters of the army, to move promptly on Boonsborough, and informed at 9 A. M. that Porter would follow him as a support, and “that

General McClellan desires to impress upon you the necessity for the utmost vigor in your pursuit," a delay of four hours ensued before Burnside's troops were put in motion, and Sykes's division was pushed ahead in conformity with Porter's soldierly instincts to hasten the advance. Although Antietam Creek was only about eight miles from Turner's Gap, so dilatory were the movements of the great bulk of the Union forces pursuing a defeated enemy that the concentration for battle against Lee was not well advanced until the night of the 15th, nor completed till the next morning. The next day was practically wasted, “being compelled," as McClellan himself says, "to spend the morning in reconnoitering the new position taken up by the enemy, examining the ground, finding fords, clearing the approaches, and hurrying up the ammunition and supplytrains, which had been delayed by the rapid march of the troops over the few practicable approaches from Frederick."

By noon of the 16th McClellan had determined upon his plan of battle, which, as he states, was as follows: "To attack the enemy's left with the corps of Hooker and Mansfield, supported by Sumner's, and, if necessary, by Franklin's; and as soon as matters looked favorably there, to move the corps of Burnside against the enemy's extreme right upon the ridge running to the south and rear of Sharpsburg, and, having carried their position, to press along the crest toward our right; and whenever either of these flank movements should be successful, to advance our center with all the forces then disposable."

There is now no question that McClellan had sufficient means at hand to carry out the designated plan to a successful issue, not only on the afternoon of the 16th, but even upon the morning of the 17th, when the whole Confederate army, save A. P. Hill's six brigades, was drawn up along the strong defensive position to the north and east of Sharpsburg. His failure must be attributed to the faulty character of his orders, tactical mistakes, and overestimation of the strength of the