and a section of the Portsmouth naval battery, supported by "two fragments of regiments" of Mahone’s brigade, under Colonel Parham. Colonel Munford reports that the two infantry regiments numbered scarcely 300. This small band made a most determined stand for three hours, for it had been directed to hold the gap at all hazards, and did not know that it was fighting Franklin s corps. The action began about noon. Gen. Howell Cobb with his brigade, consisting of the Fifteenth North Carolina regiment and three Georgia regiments, left Brownsville, two miles from the gap, about 5 o’clock, to reinforce Munford. On their arrival they went promptly at their enemies. Weight of numbers soon broke their thin line, and left the gap to Franklin. Manly s battery was engaged here all day, and General Semmes reports that it "did good service in breaking the enemy’s line" by its deliberate and well-directed fire. Cobb s total force, as stated by him,[1] "did not exceed 2,200," while Franklin’s, as given by him,[2] "hardly exceeded 6,500. " However, the last "field returns" gave Franklin a force greatly in excess of those figures. Semmes and Wilcox s brigades, that had been ordered up, did not reach the ground until during the night. Cobb s brigade loss was 690. The Fifteenth North Carolina lost 11 killed, 48 wounded, 124 captured or missing. McLaws ordered his brigades all up that night and set them in battle order, but Franklin did not press him the next morning.
While this action was going on, a conflict in which much larger forces were engaged was in progress at Turner’s gap of South mountain. This action lasted from early morning until after dark, and, first and last, many troops took part; but until afternoon it was a series of small battles rather than a connected struggle. This was due to the fact that the Confederates, in small force in the morning, were trying to hold the gap, which was wide
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