Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, nineteenth century

Battle of South Mountain

Battle of South Mountain was a battle fought on 14 September 1862 at Frederick County, in what is now Maryland, United States. It was part of the Maryland in the American Civil War, which ran from 1861 to 1865. The recorded result: Union victory. Recorded strength: 28,000 against 18,000.

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The battle of South Mountain, MD. Sunday, Sept. 14, 1862
The battle of South Mountain, MD. Sunday, Sept. 14, 1862. Fasel, A.A., lithographer. Printed by Endicott & Co., New York., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought14 September 1862
WhereFrederick County, Maryland, United States39.485N, 77.622W
OutcomeUnion victory
BelligerentsUnited StatesagainstConfederate States
Battlefield todaySouth Mountain battlefieldNPS site MD002, 19,308 acres studied, 4,013 core
Part ofMaryland in the American Civil War1861 to 1865

Where it sits in the Maryland in the American Civil War

Battle of South Mountain, 1862Battle of Antietam, 1862Battle of Monocacy, 186418621864Battle of South Mountain, 1862
3 placed engagements of the Maryland in the American Civil War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date14 September 1862
PlaceFrederick County, Maryland, United States
39.485N, 77.622W
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength28,00018,000
Casualties and losses2,325 total; (443 killed, 1,807 wounded, 75 missing)2,685 total; (325 killed, 1,560 wounded, 800 missing)
Commanders
Battle of South MountainBattle of South MountainBattle of BoonsboroBattle of Crampton's GapBattle of AntietamBattle of ShepherdstownBattle of FunkstownBattle of BoonsboroBattle of Crampton's GapBattle of AntietamBattle of FunkstownHagerstown20 km39.485N, 77.622W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the battlefield study area mapped by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1862

Combat data (CDB90)

Attacker: US ARMY OF THE POTOMACDefender: CS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA (-)
Strength28,48017,852
Casualties1,813 (6.4%)2,685 (15.0%)
Mission accomplishment, 1 to 1065
Outcomeattacker won
Duration1 day
Front width3 km2 km
Attacker advanced3 km

From the US Army Concepts Analysis Agency Database of Battles (CDB90, battle 190), public domain, in the CC0 tidy edition by Jeffrey B. Arnold. Figures are the database's estimates, compiled in 1990 from published histories, and may differ from the Wikipedia infobox above.

The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program maps this as the South Mountain battlefield (site MD002): a study area of 19,308 acres, with a core area of 4,013 acres where the fighting was concentrated; 14,254 acres retain enough integrity to be potentially eligible for the National Register.

Battle of South Mountain is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 1,148 in present-day United States (19 in Maryland).

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1542829, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of South Mountain, revision 1377466336, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (public domain). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.