BATTLE OF SOUTH MCUNTAIN.
At 8 A. M. of that day, General Cox's division, of Reno's corps,
moved up the country road leading toward the summit, which in the
meantime had been occupied by General Hill, and the conflict at once
began. The brigade of General Garland, of Virginia, received the first
fire, and its brave commander fell, fatally pierced by a musket ball, and
very nearly at the same moment General Reno, a distinguished Federal
officer, was mortally wounded, dying upon the field. The battle continued
to rage with unabated fury, and reinforcements to arrive and engage
at once in the deadly fray. That morning the corps of General Longstreet
was lying at Hagerstown, distant fourteen miles from the scene of
action. Hurrying forward with all speed, it reached and joined the
wearied ranks of Hill at 3 P. M., and an hour later the brigades were in
position, and that of General Toombs engaged. Evans occupied the extreme
left, Drayton the right, and Hood, with the "ragged Texans,"
the center. At the same hour the Federals received powerful reinforcements.
Hooker's corps of Burnside's column moved to the right,
Meade's division to the left, and Rickett's to the center. The first was
supported by Patrick, the second by Doubleday, and the third by
Phelps. It was a living human wall against which no force could prevail,
and at dark the Confederates withdrew from the field, but they
had accomplished their object—they had held the entire army of
McClellan, outnumbering them five to one, back, while General Jackson
succeeded in the
