Fox's Gap was one of the three gaps fought over on Septmeber 14, 1862 that comprised the South Mountain battle. The 17th Michigan Infantry, less than a month in service, saw their first combat in this fight. Despite being green and having very little experience in the military drill and evolutions necessary to fight in long, thin lines popular during the war, they went forward.
The 17th Michigan charged across a field and up the mountain towards an enemy behind a stone wall. Colonel Withington, their commander, yelled “Over the wall and at ‘em!” and the force of South Carolina troops were forced to flee or surrender as the 17th Michigan stormed over and around the wall. A man in the unit wrote “…the bloody 17th fought like tigers.” Withington’s journal entry included “It was a severe baptism for the regiment, but a splendid victory. It has won its name.” With just a few shorts weeks in the field their success in this first fight earned them the name “The Stonewall Regiment”.
A Michigan historical marker was placed in the field they charged across in 1986 by the 17th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Co. E, Inc. The full text from both sides is shown below. The field the marker is placed in is the one the 17th charged across to take the stone wall.
Fox's Gap is located at 8629 Reno Monument Rd, Middleton MD. It is a short drive from the Antietam National Battlefield and should not be missed by the Michigan history buff if you visit Antietam.
