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Unholy Sabbath: The Battle of South Mountain in History and Memory, September 14, 1862
Many readers of Civil War history have been led to believe the battle of South Mountain (September 14, 1862) was but a trifling skirmish, a preliminary engagement of little strategic or tactical consequence overshadowed by Antietam’s horrific carnage just three days later. In fact, the fight was a decisive Federal victory and important turning point in the campaign, as historian Brian Matthew Jordan argues convincingly in his fresh interpretation Unholy Sabbath: The Battle of South Mountain in History and Memory, September 14, 1862.
Most writers brush past the mid-September battle in a few paragraphs or a single chapter. Jordan, however, presents a vigorous full-length study based upon extensive archival research, newspaper accounts, regimental histories, official records, postwar reunion materials, public addresses, letters, and diaries. Readers will not only come away with a full understanding of the military actions at Fox’s, Turner’s, and Crampton’s gaps, but a deeper and more meaningful appreciation for the ways in which Civil War veterans and the public at large remembered military events—and why some were forgotten.
The Union victory on the wooded and rocky slopes provided a substantial boost for the downtrodden men of the Union army, who recognized the battle as hard fought and deservedly won—a ferocious hours-long fight with instances of hand-to-hand combat and thousands of casualties. Jordan demonstrates conclusively that South Mountain was the first major victory for the Army of the Potomac, and the first time its men held the field and were tasked with the responsibility of burying the dead.
Unholy Sabbath proposes a new rubric for evaluating this important combat by examining not only the minute military aspects of the battle, but how soldiers remembered the fighting and why South Mountain faded from public memory. Former Confederates true to the Lost Cause, argues Jordan, downplayed the victory, emphasized how outnumbered they were, and argued that their defense of the passes “protected the concentration of General Lee’s army on the field of Sharpsburg.” Union veterans, however, remembered South Mountain as a full-scale engagement wholly distinct from Antietam, and one where they outfought and completely defeated their Rebel opponents and disrupted the entire Southern invasion.
This richly detailed study, complete with outstanding maps, photographs, a complete order of battle with losses, and an in-depth interview with the author, is modern Civil War history at its finest.
Most writers brush past the mid-September battle in a few paragraphs or a single chapter. Jordan, however, presents a vigorous full-length study based upon extensive archival research, newspaper accounts, regimental histories, official records, postwar reunion materials, public addresses, letters, and diaries. Readers will not only come away with a full understanding of the military actions at Fox’s, Turner’s, and Crampton’s gaps, but a deeper and more meaningful appreciation for the ways in which Civil War veterans and the public at large remembered military events—and why some were forgotten.
The Union victory on the wooded and rocky slopes provided a substantial boost for the downtrodden men of the Union army, who recognized the battle as hard fought and deservedly won—a ferocious hours-long fight with instances of hand-to-hand combat and thousands of casualties. Jordan demonstrates conclusively that South Mountain was the first major victory for the Army of the Potomac, and the first time its men held the field and were tasked with the responsibility of burying the dead.
Unholy Sabbath proposes a new rubric for evaluating this important combat by examining not only the minute military aspects of the battle, but how soldiers remembered the fighting and why South Mountain faded from public memory. Former Confederates true to the Lost Cause, argues Jordan, downplayed the victory, emphasized how outnumbered they were, and argued that their defense of the passes “protected the concentration of General Lee’s army on the field of Sharpsburg.” Union veterans, however, remembered South Mountain as a full-scale engagement wholly distinct from Antietam, and one where they outfought and completely defeated their Rebel opponents and disrupted the entire Southern invasion.
This richly detailed study, complete with outstanding maps, photographs, a complete order of battle with losses, and an in-depth interview with the author, is modern Civil War history at its finest.
409 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 16, 2018
This book has terrific maps, clearly marked and easy-to-understand. Very refreshing compared to so many books that I read today. The real problem with the book is that the story of the battle on South Mountain has been told before, many times. Granted, perhaps not in as great a detail as this book, but certainly Scott Hartwig's book, TO ANTIETAM CREEK, had an amazing amount of material on the battle for the gaps as well.
The author's main argument seems to be that South Mountain disrupted Lee's plans to move ultimately into Pennsylvania. With the defeat at South Mountain, Lee chose instead to defend his army at Sharpsburg after Jackson took Harper's Ferry. What has never made sense to me is why he felt the need to stand at Antietam Creek at all. He gave McClellan the chance of a lifetime, and the 'Little Napoleon' botched it.
This book is a fast read, but certainly there are other books that provide a more detailed look at the whole campaign.
The author's main argument seems to be that South Mountain disrupted Lee's plans to move ultimately into Pennsylvania. With the defeat at South Mountain, Lee chose instead to defend his army at Sharpsburg after Jackson took Harper's Ferry. What has never made sense to me is why he felt the need to stand at Antietam Creek at all. He gave McClellan the chance of a lifetime, and the 'Little Napoleon' botched it.
This book is a fast read, but certainly there are other books that provide a more detailed look at the whole campaign.
August 25, 2018
Extremely well written. Great use of sources. The book tells both sides of the battle Including the southern side trying to make the battle a mere skirmish. To understand why Antietam occur you need to know about the battle for South Mountain.
June 5, 2022
I read “Before Antietam: the Battle of South Mountain,” by John Michael Priest, almost 3 years ago. “Unholy Sabbath” is another book-length treatment of the Battle of South Mountain, which is often overshadowed by the bloodier Battle of Antietam, which occurred 3 days later and only a few miles away.
The two books are fine complements to each other. Priest tends to focus extensively on tactical details. While Brian Matthew Jordan, this book’s author, does delve into the tactics, he also examines the battle in the larger context of Lee’s Maryland Campaign. Jordan convincingly argues that South Mountain was the turning point of the campaign, in that it altered Lee’s strategy from proceeding into Pennsylvania, as he would do 9 months later. Instead, immediately after the defeat at South Mountain, Lee determined to regroup at Sharpsburg, with the intent to retreat across the Potomac.
The author has excellent discussions of the fighting at the three gaps (Crampton’s, Fox’s, and Turner’s). He assesses the successes and failures of the various commanders. The maps by Bradley Gottfried, are to the regimental and, at times, company level, and serve to illustrate the varied terrain of the battlefield.
In a concluding chapter, the author discusses the larger impact of South Mountain and how it was remembered in both Union and Confederate literature. I highly recommend this book for a detailed account of the Battle of South Mountain.
The two books are fine complements to each other. Priest tends to focus extensively on tactical details. While Brian Matthew Jordan, this book’s author, does delve into the tactics, he also examines the battle in the larger context of Lee’s Maryland Campaign. Jordan convincingly argues that South Mountain was the turning point of the campaign, in that it altered Lee’s strategy from proceeding into Pennsylvania, as he would do 9 months later. Instead, immediately after the defeat at South Mountain, Lee determined to regroup at Sharpsburg, with the intent to retreat across the Potomac.
The author has excellent discussions of the fighting at the three gaps (Crampton’s, Fox’s, and Turner’s). He assesses the successes and failures of the various commanders. The maps by Bradley Gottfried, are to the regimental and, at times, company level, and serve to illustrate the varied terrain of the battlefield.
In a concluding chapter, the author discusses the larger impact of South Mountain and how it was remembered in both Union and Confederate literature. I highly recommend this book for a detailed account of the Battle of South Mountain.
March 20, 2024
The author has presented an excellent version of the battles along the mountain range of South Mountain. That bloody Sunday when the advancing Union Army drove the slowly assembled Rebel forces from the mountains' passes.
The most interesting chapter of this book was the one about the battles' place in the memory of its participants and on modern history.
The most interesting chapter of this book was the one about the battles' place in the memory of its participants and on modern history.
September 3, 2012
South Mountain was an important battle in the days before Antietam as barely 3 divisions of Confederates attempted to defend 3 mountain gaps and stall a Union offensive led by 3 corps.
Jordan has an enviable education for a modern Civil War historian (Gettysburg College's History & Civil War Studies program). He delivers a mix of the regiment-by-regiment tactical closeup with a strategic view that considers South Mountain in its own right rather than a mere precursor to Antietam. I would consider it good but not great book, but valuable for going into depth on a battle too often skimmed over in other books.
There are many good maps, though I wish the book would've included a single map showing the evening fighting at both Fox's and Turner's Gap. The battles were fought by separate Union corps, but DH Hill (and later Longstreet and Lee) oversaw overall Confederate defense of the two gaps (which were only a few miles apart) and the later fighting at the two gaps occurred pretty much simultaneously.
As would be expected, Jordan also makes numerous mentions of The Lost Order (Special Order 191). Curiously, he states as fact (without elaboration or debate) that Lee knew McClellan had found SO 191; this is contrary to Stephen Sears' comments on the subject (particularly in "Last Words on the Lost Order" in his Controversies and Commanders: Dispatches from the Army of the Potomac).
Jordan has an enviable education for a modern Civil War historian (Gettysburg College's History & Civil War Studies program). He delivers a mix of the regiment-by-regiment tactical closeup with a strategic view that considers South Mountain in its own right rather than a mere precursor to Antietam. I would consider it good but not great book, but valuable for going into depth on a battle too often skimmed over in other books.
There are many good maps, though I wish the book would've included a single map showing the evening fighting at both Fox's and Turner's Gap. The battles were fought by separate Union corps, but DH Hill (and later Longstreet and Lee) oversaw overall Confederate defense of the two gaps (which were only a few miles apart) and the later fighting at the two gaps occurred pretty much simultaneously.
As would be expected, Jordan also makes numerous mentions of The Lost Order (Special Order 191). Curiously, he states as fact (without elaboration or debate) that Lee knew McClellan had found SO 191; this is contrary to Stephen Sears' comments on the subject (particularly in "Last Words on the Lost Order" in his Controversies and Commanders: Dispatches from the Army of the Potomac).
June 20, 2013
As the author says, South Mountain gets swallowed up by other events around it. Jordan does a reasonably good job of laying out the course of the campaign and the battle. I'm not certain that he motivates the sequence of coverage well enough in the book. The order of coverage of Turner's and Fox Gaps more-or-less follows the flow of the battle, but there doesn't seem much reason to cover those before covering Franklin's attack on Crampton's Gap. In addition, there are some copy editing mistakes and I'm not certain that Jordan understands that the 80th NY and the 20th NY State Militia are the same unit. Still, Jordan has a good command of the sources and covers the battle in reasonable detail and coherence.
July 6, 2013
An excellent book put out by Savas Beatie publications on the often forgotten and overlooked Battle of South Mountain which took place prior to Antietam during the Maryland Campaign. Very well written and researched with some absolutely wonderful quotes sprinkled throughout. Highly recommend this one.Interesting and thought provoking.
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August 2, 2014signed by the author
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews