What is Battle of South Mountain?
[[File:Battle of South Mountain.jpg|thumb|right|300px|{{Center|[[Illustration]] of the Battle of South Mountain for ''[[Harper's Weekly]]''}}]] The '''Battle of South Mountain''' was fought on September 14, 1862 in [[Maryland]]’s South Mountain between [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] and [[Union Army|Union]] forces.<ref name=dayinhist>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/north-and-south-clash-at-the-battle-of-south-mountain |title=1862 North and South clash at the Battle of South Mountain |website=This Day in History |publisher=A&E Television Networks, LLC |access-date=1 July 2016}}</ref> The Battle of South Mountain was a very important battle. It was the first major battle fought [[north]] of the [[Potomac River]].<ref name=HistNet>{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-south-mountain.htm |title=The Army of the Potomac Finally Beats Bobby Lee’s Boys |publisher=HistoryNet |access-date=1 July 2016}}</ref> It was the first invasion of the [[Northern United States]] by a Confederate Army.<ref name=HistNet/> It was also here and not at [[Battle of Antietam|Antietam]] where the Confederates under [[General officer|General]] [[Robert E. Lee]] were defeated and turned back.<ref name=HistNet/> The day-long [[wikt:pitched battle|pitched battle]] was fought for control of the three [[Mountain pass|passes]] through the [[mountain]]: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps.<ref name=ACW>{{cite web |url=http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/md/md002.html |title=South Mountain, Crampton Gap Turner Gap, Fox Gap Civil War Maryland |publisher=AmericanCivilWar.com |access-date=1 July 2016}}</ref> == Background == During the [[summer]] of 1862, the hopes of the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] that the [[rebellion]] could be easily crushed were quickly fading.<ref name=mcCWT>{{cite web |url=http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam/history/the-maryland-campaign-of-1862.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/ |title=The Maryland Campaign of 1862 |publisher=Civil War Trust |access-date=2