"Hallo, Sam, I'm dead!"

— Antietam Campaign 1862 —

The fight for Fox's Gap on September 14, 1862, claimed the lives of two generals, one from each side. Confederate Gen. Samuel Garland, a Lynchburg, Virginia native, attended the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington and later obtained his law degree. Married in 1856, he suffered tragedy early in the war when both his wife and four-year-old son died in an influenza epidemic. Grief-stricken, he left Lynchburg as captain of the Lynchburg Home Guard, excelled during the Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days' Battles, and soon attained general's rank. Charged with defending Fox's Gap, he fell mortally wounded by a bullet through his chest while rallying his men about ? of a mile south of here.

As evening fell and the Confederates fell back through the gap and off to the north, Union Gen. Jesse L. Reno rode by here and into the field across from Wise's cabin to investigate what he believed was a delay in the push for Turner's Gap. Just then, Gen. John Bell Hood's Texans arrived on the field and fired the final Confederate volley, mortally wounding Reno. Carried on a stretcher to his friend Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis's headquarters, Reno called to him, "Hallo, Sam, I'm dead!" A few minutes later he died, the first Union Corps commander killed during the war. His monument is the second oldest one erected for the Maryland Campaign.

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  York, MD  |  York County  |  17401  |  Maryland  |  United States of America

The Maryland Campaign of 1862
The Battle for Fox's Gap
The Lost Orders
Near Here in Wise's Field
Stonewall Regiment
Maj. Gen. Jesse L. Reno
North Carolina
The Dahlgren Chapel
South Mountain Summit
Battle at South Mountain

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.