Sunday, May 6, 2007

South Mountain - part 1

Our main group finally united on the night of Thursday, April 12. The Rocky Mountain CWRT had a very strong showing this year with Mike L., Nick K. (me), Gary K. (my dad), Larry P., Matt S., Wayne P., Dave T., Ray P., Bob B., Ian D. (and his wife Susan), Ned G., Jim P., and Craig O. On Friday we started with a tour of South Mountain, rising early and driving out to the Reno monument near Fox's Gap. This monument marks the location where Major General Jesse Reno was killed. We followed the war college guide pretty exclusively which also took us past a new North Carolina monument. This is a very nice new monument. Garland's brigade fought near here and was made up of North Carolinians.
Here's us huddled in the cold at a stop near the turnpike. Gibbon's brigade would attack behind us up the road. I have a strong affection for Gibbon's brigade, the Iron Brigade, because my family is from Wisconsin and at this point the brigade was 75% Wisconsin. I had a relative serve in the 6th Wisconsin but he was a draftee who didn't join the regiment until the winter of 63-64. Matt had encased a topo map in some sort of plastic and written troop movements and tour stops on the map. It made it easier to orientate ourselves and is the mark of an experience tour guide.
This shot is from tour stop 7 in the war college guide. Confederate artillery was stationed near here. The turnpike going into Turner's Gap would be below the first line of trees. Its hard to see but there is a power line on the far mountain in the photo and this marks Garland's position. The two gaps are pretty far apart and this site helps put that in perspective.
Due to the amount of pictures I'm posting Crampton's Gap will be tomorrow's post. I didn't want you to think I had forgotten about it.

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