GLORIOUS NEWS: The Rebel Army of Invasion Being Terribly Punished; A Great Battle at Hagerstown Heights on Sunday (9/16/1862)

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, THREE MILES BEYOND MIDDLETOWN, Sunday, Sept. 14 -- 9:40 P.M.

After a very severe engagement, the corps of Gen. HOOKEE and Gen. RENO have carried the height commanding the Hagerstown road by storm.

Gen. FRANKLIN has been hotly engaged on the extreme left. I do not yet know the result, except that the firing indicated progress on his part.

The action continued until after dark, and terminated, leaving us in possession of the entire crest.

I cannot yet tell whether the enemy will retreat during the night, or appear in increased force during the morning.

I am happy to inform you that Gen. FRANKLIN's success on the left was as complete as that on the centre and right, and resulted in his getting possession of the Gap, after a severe engagement in all parts of the line.

The troops, old and new, behaved with the utmost steadiness and gallantry, carrying, with but little assistance from our own artillery, very strong positions defended by artillery and infantry.

The enemy disappeared during the night. Our troops are now advancing in pursuit. I do not know where he will next be found.

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4093536/posts

Two battles to report, #144 & #145, both in Union states --one in Maryland (USA victory), the other in Kentucky (CSA victory):

Maryland 1861-'62 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
April 19	Baltimore Riots, MD	MA 6th, PA 26th vs secessionist crowd	4 Union soldiers killed, 12 civilians killed, hundreds wounded	USA
Jan 5-6, 1862	Hancock, MD	Union PA infantry (Lander ~2,000) & Confederate Stonewall Brigade (Jackson ~2,800)	~25 total	Inconclusive
Sep 14	South Mountain, MD	Union Army of the Potomac (McClellan, Burnside ~28,000), Confederate Army of N VA (RE Lee, AP Hill ~18,000)	Union 2,325-total (443-killed), Confederates 2,685-total (325-killed)	USA

Kentucky 1861-'62 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
Sep 19	Barbourville, KY	Union KY Home Guard (Black ~300) & Confederate Dept 2 (Zollicoffer ~800)	Union 15-total (1-killed); Confederates 7-total (7-killed)	CSA
Oct 21	Camp Wildcat, KY (near Cumberland Gap)	Union IN & KY Infantry, KY Cavalry (Schoepf ~7,000) & Confederate TN Infantry (Zollicoffer ~5,700)	Union 25-total (5-killed), Confederates 53-total (11-killed)	USA
Nov 8-9	Big Sandy-ivy Mountain, KY	Union: Dept of Ohio (Nelson ~5.500) & Confederate 5th Kentucky (Williams, ~1,010)	Union 62-total (12-killed), Confederates 235-total (41-killed)	USA
Nov 20	Skirmish at Brownsville, KY	Union Dept of Cumberland (~115) & Confederate Cavalry (Morgan ~200)	Union 14-total (6-killed), Confederates 1-total (1-killed)	CSA
Dec 17	Rowlett's Station, KY	Union 32nd Indiana (Willich ~500) & Confederate 8th Texas Cavalry, 1sT Ark. (Terry ~1,350)	Union 46-total (13-killed), Confederates 91-total (33-killed, including Terry)	inconclusive (outnumbered Union forces held the field)
Dec 28	Sacremento, KY	Union cavalry (Murray ~500) & Confederate Cavalry (Forrest ~250)	Union 23-total (10-killed), Confederates 5-total (2-killed)	CSA
Jan 10	Middle Creek, KY	Union KY&OH Inf (Garfield 2,100) & Confederate KY Inf & VA Art+Cav (Marshall 2,500)	Union 27 total, Confederates ~65 total	USA
Jan 11	Lucas Bend, Columbus, KY	Union gunboats Essex, St. Louis (Foote, Porter) & Confederate Gunboats Jackson, Ivy, Polk, N.O. (Holland, Rogers)	Union none, Confederates unknown	Inconclusive
Jan 19	Mill Springs, KY	Union KY, IN, OH, Mn, TN Inf, Cav & ART (Thomas ~4,400) & Confederate MS, TN, KY, AL Inf, Cav & Arty (Crittenden, Zollicoffer ~5,900)	Union 246-total (39 killed), Confederates 529-total (125 killed incl Zollicoffer)	USA
Aug 22	Big Hill, KY	Union Army of Ohio (Metcalfe), Confederate Cavalry, E. Tenn (Scott).	Union 270-total Confederates 16-total	CSA
Aug 30	Richmond, KY	Union Army of KY, (Nelson ~6,850), Confederate Army of E TN (Smith, Cleburn -6,500)	Union ~5,353-total (206-killed), Confederates ~451-total (78-killed)	CSA (CSA outnumbered)
Sep 14	Munfordville, KY	Union garrison (Wilder, Dunham ~4,200), Confederate Army of MS (Buckner, Chalmers ~25,000)	Union 4,148-total (4,000+ captured), Confederates 714-total (100?-killed)	CSA (Union surrendered)

In the count of wins & losses, Confederates are still ahead in Confederate states and behind just one in engagements in the Union.
Total battle casualties are over 203,000 including nearly 23,000 killed in action.

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of September 16, 1862:
Engagements in Confederate states:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
South Carolina	2	2	1	5
Virginia	7	25	11	43
North Carolina	5	1	0	6
Florida	1	0	0	1
Louisiana	3	1	0	4
Tennessee	5	3	1	9
Arkansas	4	0	1	5
Georgia	1	0	0	1
Mississippi	1	1	0	2
Total Engagements in CSA	29	33	14	76

Engagements in Union states/territories:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
Maryland	2	0	1	3
West Virginia	9	3	2	14
Missouri	12	12	1	24
New Mexico	5	8	0	13
Kentucky	4	6	2	12
Oklahoma	0	3	0	3
Total Engagements in Union	32	31	6	69
Total Engagements to date	61	64	20	145

By the way, it's worth noting again that, in the war's 19th month,

Of the 145 total engagements to date, Confederates have won 64, the Union won 61 with 20 inconclusive.
Of the 145 engagements to date, 76 were fought in Confederate states, with 2/3 of those in Virginia & Tennessee.
The remaining 69 engagements were fought in Union states & territories, with 90% of those in Missouri, West Virginia, Kentucky & New Mexico.
Total casualties in Confederate states have averaged about 2,200 per engagement, compared to 512 per engagement in Union states & territories.
Curiously, for engagements in Confederate states, total casualties and numbers killed in action are roughly equal -- Confederate vs. Union.
For engagements in Union states & territories, the numbers killed on each side are roughly the same, but total Union casualties are more than double Confederate casualties.
The main difference is the numbers of Union troops surrendered or captured.
Roughly 15% of all casualties resulted from engagements in Union states & territories, 85% from engagements in Confederate states.

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of September 16, 1862:
Engagements in Confederate states:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
South Carolina	2	2	1	5
Virginia	7	25	11	43
North Carolina	5	1	0	6
Florida	1	0	0	1
Louisiana	3	1	0	4
Tennessee	5	3	1	9
Arkansas	4	0	1	5
Georgia	1	0	0	1
Mississippi	1	1	0	2
Total Engagements in CSA	29	33	14	76

Engagements in Union states/territories:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
Maryland	2	0	1	3
West Virginia	9	3	2	14
Missouri	12	12	1	24
New Mexico	5	8	0	13
Kentucky	4	6	2	12
Oklahoma	0	3	0	3
Total Engagements in Union	32	31	6	69
Total Engagements to date	61	64	20	145

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