The battle over Crampton's Pass in the South Mountain Range is one of the many battles that lead to the Battle of Antietam. While many units did their share in ensuring that Union army reached Antietam though the various mountain passes, this summary will focus on the Sixth Corps, First Division, of which the New Jersey Brigade was the First Brigade.
During early September 1862, the Union army was in pursuit of Lee's confederates. Lee was making a move north toward what would ultimately become the battlefield of Antietam. Lee was on the west side of Catoctin, South and Blue Ridge mountain ranges, while the Union army was on the east side poised in defense of Washington. Lee had separated his army with plans to take the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry and then reconsolidate around Sharpsburg before the Union army could come together in enough force to be effective. This meant guarding the mountain passes in the South Mountain range.
General McClellan, the Union commander, dispatched the First, Second, Third, Sixth, Ninth, Twelfth and one division of the Fourth Corps to confront the Confederates. The Sixth Corps left camp near Alexandria VA on September 6th and crossed the Potamac River at Georgetown. The Corps moved through Darnestown, Barnesville and Urbana. On the night of September 13th the Sixth Corps was camped at the base of the Catoctin mountains. They had been ordered to get to Harper's Ferry to assist in it's defense as quickly as possible.
On the morning of the 14th the Corps passed over the Catoctin Mountains, through Jefferson and into Burkettsville. This was where the first Confederate picketts were encountered. The confederate attack on Harper's Ferry was taking longer than Lee had planned and that forced Confederate General Jackson to send detachments to guard the passes of South Mountain, Crampton's Gap and Turner's Gap. The First Division of the Sixth Corps came under fire around mid-day on the 14th. The Corps continued to advance and drive back the enemy to the base of South Mountain.
The Confederates took a position behind a stone wall at the foot of the mountain. The First New Jersey Brigade was sent in relief of the front line at 2:30 PM, and began to advance. The Confederates defended the position with heavy artilery fire from various points on the side of the mountain. As the First New Jersey Brigade advanced, the Confederate line opened fire from behind the stone wall, and drove back the Union skirmishers. The first New Jersey Brigade was formed in two battle lines with the First and Second Regiments in front and the Third and Fourth Regiments about 100 yards behind. As the first line charged and took cover behind a fence, the second line was ordered to charge. The Third and Fourth Regiments rushed over the fence joined by the First and Second as they were passed by their comerades.
The Jerseymen charged the stone wall and drove the Confederates up the mountain. The First Division of the Sixth Corps gave chase up the steep slope of South Mountain, with Confederate stragglers immediately in front and often times among them. As the Confederates re-formed in Crampton's Pass and the crest of the mountain, the Jersey Brigade charged into them and drove them down into the valley below.
In the victory of the battle, the Jerseymen captured approximately 300 prisoners, three stands of colors, 700 Springfield Rifles, 1 cannon, and numerous knapsacks, blankets, canteens, etc. The loss to the New Jersey Brigade was 1 officer (Fourth Regiment) killed, 39 non-comissioned officers and enlisted killed and 125 wounded. The battle at Crampton's Pass was the First New Jersey Brigade's highest achievement to that time in the war.
Bibliography: History of Kearny's First New Jersey Brigade, Baquet. pp: 45-51
