Skirmish at Shepherdstown

Skirmish at Shepherdstown

Part of: American Civil War

Skirmish at Shepherdstown

date	September 19-20, 1862
place	Jefferson County , West Virginia .
output	Confederate victory

Parties to the conflict
United States	Confederate States of America
Commander
Fitz-John Porter	William N. Pendleton A.P. Hill
Troop strength
approx. 2500	six brigades of the Light Division
losses
326 killed : 92 wounded: 131 missing / captured: 103	261 killed : 30 wounded: 231

The battle at Shepherdstown , also known as the Battle of Boteler's Ford , was a battle of the American Civil War and ended the Maryland campaign. It took place on September 19 and 20, 1862.

Starting position

After the undecided outcome of the Battle of Antietam , the Northern Virginia Army and the Potomac Army faced each other for a day in anticipation of the enemy attack. The Northern Virginia Army escaped unmolested over the Potomac to Virginia on the night of September 18-19 . On the south bank, General Robert E. Lee left a fuse consisting of two weak brigades and the reserve artillery with 44 guns under the command of Brigadier General William Nelson Pendleton with the order to hold the ford and thus prevent pursuit by Union troops. In order not to lose touch with the Confederates, Maj. Gen. McClellan had ordered the commanding general of the V Corps, Maj. Gen. Fitz-John Porter, to carry out a violent reconnaissance of the Potomac.

Fight on September 19th

The 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division under the command of Brigadier General Charles Griffins received the reconnaissance mission . The brigade crossed the river at dusk and occupied the heights on the Virginia bank. Pendleton had completely lost track in the dark. He allowed the batteries to evade and lost contact with them. He believed that the planned evasive infantrymen had fled and rode back himself to seek help from a superior — James Longstreet or Lee. So it came to the completely exaggerated enemy report at midnight, in the Pendleton Lee reported that the Union troops had conquered the Virginia bank and captured the entire artillery. In fact, all batteries had evaded as planned and had only left behind no longer transportable guns. The Confederate casualties were three killed and twelve wounded. Griffin's brigade was ordered back to the other bank that evening. They found one of the abandoned guns and took it away. The Union had one killed and seven wounded. Parts of the brigade crossed the river again the next morning and captured three more guns.

Fight on September 20th

Porter had parts of two divisions cross the Potomac that morning to form a bridgehead. He had not ordered a unified leadership. The 1st Brigade of the 1st Division, under Colonel James Barnes, took up positions on the slopes of the heights on the Virginia bank. The brigade of the 2nd Division advanced to Sheperdstown to the right.

Major General Jackson ordered from 06:30 Major General AP Hills "Light Division", camped five miles away, to attack the Union forces and push back to the other bank. Hill attacked with the entire division under fire from about 70 pieces of enemy artillery that had been positioned across the river on the hills. The superiority of the Confederates forced the Union troops to evade, which initially took place as planned after the two brigade commanders agreed.

The inexperienced Pennsylvania 118th Infantry Regiment suddenly found itself in the focus of the attack. The wounding of the regimental commander and the subsequent inadequate transmission of orders meant that the regiment no longer evaded as planned. AP Hill describes the process: "The enemy fled headlong into the river." In fact, many soldiers fell over the slope into the river, were wounded or drowned in the Potomac. Lee prohibited further pursuit on the Maryland shore.

A renewed pursuit of the Northern Virginia Army did not take place. Lee evaded the Shenandoah Valley with the bulk of the army, leaving parts in the Warrenton, Virginia area.

swell

1. ^ The War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume XIX, Part I, p. 346: Strength of the Union on September 20
2. ^ The War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume XIX, Part I, p. 348: Union losses on September 20
3. ^ The War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume XIX, Part I, p. 983: Confederate losses on September 20
4. ^ The War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume XIX, Part I, p. 982: headless escape

literature

• Shelby Foote : The Civil War, a narrative: 1. Fort Sumter to Perryville . Random house Inc., New York 1986. ISBN 0-394-74623-6
• United States War Department: The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies , Govt. Print. Off., Washington 1880-1901.