“13th, 6.45 P.M., Couch to move to Jefferson with his whole division, and join Franklin.
“13th, 8.45 P.M., Sumner to move at seven A.M.
“13th, 11.30 P.M., Hooker to march at daylight to Middletown.
“13th, 11.30 P.M., Sykes to move at six A.M., after Hooker on the Middletown and Hagerstown road.
“14th, one A.M., artillery reserve to follow Sykes closely.
“14th, nine A.M., Sumner ordered to take the Shockstown road to Middletown.
“Franklin’s corps at Buckeystown to march for Burkittsville.”[60]
He wrote General Franklin at 6.20 P.M., giving the substance of information of the despatch, but not mentioning when or how he came by it, and ordered him to march for the mountain pass at Crampton’s Gap, to seize the pass if it was not strongly guarded, and march for Rohrersville, to cut off the command under McLaws about Maryland Heights, capture it, and relieve the garrison at Harper’s Ferry, and return to co-operate in capturing the balance of the Confederate army north of the Potomac; but, in case the gap was occupied by a strong force, to await operations against it until he heard the engagement of the army moving upon Turner’s Pass. He wrote General Franklin that General Pleasonton had cleared the field east of the mountain of Confederate cavalry. After relieving Harper’s Ferry, Franklin was to destroy bridges and guard against crossing of the Confederates to the north side, his idea being to cut the Confederate army in two and capture or break it up in detail. His appeal was urgent for the best work that a general could exercise. The division under General Couch was ordered to General Franklin, without waiting for all of its forces to join. This is the only order of the records that indicates unusual action on the part of the Union commander, and General Franklin’s evidence before the Committee on the Conduct of the War shows that his orders of the 13th were so modified on the 14th as to direct his wait for Couch’s division to join him, and the division joined him after nightfall.
The divisions of the Ninth Corps reached Middletown on the 13th, under the orders of the 12th, issued before the lost despatch was found, one of them supporting Pleasonton’s cavalry; but Rodman’s, under misconception of orders, marched back towards Frederick.
South Mountain range, standing between the armies, courses across Maryland northeast and southwest. Its average height is one thousand feet; its rugged passes give it strong military features. The pass at Turner drops off about four hundred feet. About a mile south of this the old Sharpsburg road crosses at a greater elevation through rugged windings; a fork of this road, on the mountain-side, makes a second way over below Fox’s Pass, while another turns to the right and leads back into the turnpike at the summit, or Mountain House.