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9 July 1864: The Battle of Monocacy
The Confederate victory at Monocacy Junction paved the way for LTG Jubal Early and his 16,000-man force to move from the Shenandoah Valley to attack the Union capital of Washington, D.C.
LTG U. S. Grant and the bulk of the Army of the Potomac and battled southward throughout the spring of 1864 and had penned up Gen. Lee in the siege of Petersburg, near Richmond.
Early's mission was to conduct raids in the Shenandoah Valley and obtain much-needed supplies, all the while with an eye toward attacking Washington and hopefully force Grant to release units from the siege to go back and defend the city, relieving the pressure on Lee.
After successful raids on Harper's Ferry, Va., and Frederick, Md., Early advanced toward Monocacy Junction where a small force of 2,300 men commanded by MG Lew Wallace, whose career had waned after he was unfairly blamed for the high losses at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. Wallace and his men were all that stood between Early and the American capital.
Although few of the Union troops had been in battle, they acquitted themselves well, especially after BG James Ricketts and a VI Corps brigade with 3,000 men arrived and joined them in the defensive line. The fighting was brutal and resulted in nearly 1,300 killed, wounded or captured for the Union and nearly 1,000 rebels killed or wounded.
The battle ended in a tactical victory for Early and his men--their farthest north in the eastern theater--who held the field at the end of the day, but it slowed the Confederate advance at least a day and gave Union forces a breather before the final act of this tense drama.
ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) LTG Jubal Early's forces advance on Union positions at the Battle of Monocacy, 9 July 1864. (2) The 8th Illinois Cav. at the Battle of Monocacy. (3) LTG Jubal Early. (4) MG Lew Wallace. (5) BG James B. Ricketts.
The Confederate victory at Monocacy Junction paved the way for LTG Jubal Early and his 16,000-man force to move from the Shenandoah Valley to attack the Union capital of Washington, D.C.
LTG U. S. Grant and the bulk of the Army of the Potomac and battled southward throughout the spring of 1864 and had penned up Gen. Lee in the siege of Petersburg, near Richmond.
Early's mission was to conduct raids in the Shenandoah Valley and obtain much-needed supplies, all the while with an eye toward attacking Washington and hopefully force Grant to release units from the siege to go back and defend the city, relieving the pressure on Lee.
After successful raids on Harper's Ferry, Va., and Frederick, Md., Early advanced toward Monocacy Junction where a small force of 2,300 men commanded by MG Lew Wallace, whose career had waned after he was unfairly blamed for the high losses at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. Wallace and his men were all that stood between Early and the American capital.
Although few of the Union troops had been in battle, they acquitted themselves well, especially after BG James Ricketts and a VI Corps brigade with 3,000 men arrived and joined them in the defensive line. The fighting was brutal and resulted in nearly 1,300 killed, wounded or captured for the Union and nearly 1,000 rebels killed or wounded.
The battle ended in a tactical victory for Early and his men--their farthest north in the eastern theater--who held the field at the end of the day, but it slowed the Confederate advance at least a day and gave Union forces a breather before the final act of this tense drama.
ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) LTG Jubal Early's forces advance on Union positions at the Battle of Monocacy, 9 July 1864. (2) The 8th Illinois Cav. at the Battle of Monocacy. (3) LTG Jubal Early. (4) MG Lew Wallace. (5) BG James B. Ricketts.
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July 9, 1864. Monocacy: The battle that saved Washington DC. with Ranger Mannie Gentile
The redemption of Union general Lew Wallace.
Thank you my friend MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. for reminding us about the the final attempt of the Army of Northern Virginia to penetrate into the north [Antietam, 1862, Gettysburg, 1863, and then Monacacy, 1864 each resulted in failure to achieve the strategic objective.
Yet Monocacy, Frederick County, Maryland was a tactical victory for Jubal Early and caused LTG Grant to be concerned about his lines of communication as the Army of the Potomac was engaged at Petersburg in the lengthy siege campaign there.
By the way the lower right image is not from Monacacy it is a relatively famous painting from the battle of Shiloh.
'Union artillery firing on advancing confederate infantry, ‘Hornets Nest, Battle of Shiloh painting by Thure de Thulstrup'
July 9, 1864. Monocacy: The battle that saved Washington DC. with Ranger Mannie Gentile
The redemption of Union general Lew Wallace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLAT21LK4cg
Image:
1. Battle of Monocacy map by Jedediah Hotchkiss
2. Battle of Monacacy, July 9, 1864
3. The 8th Illinois Cav. at the Battle of Monocacy
4. Monocacy - July 9, 1864
Background from {[https://www.nps.gov/mono/learn/historyculture/the-battle-of-monocacy.htm]}
The Battle of Monocacy
Field maps, like this one made of the Battle of Monocacy by Jedediah Hotchkiss, provided valuable aid to commanders planning battle strategies. In the summer of 1864, the American Civil War was still a long way from conclusion. Union and Confederate armies were still spread out across the country, with battles and campaigns still racking up casualties by the thousands. With Union forces under Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant deep in Virginia at Petersburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee devised a bold plan. Lee ordered General Jubal Early to take the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia and link up with General John C. Breckenridge to clear the Shenandoah Valley. After securing the Valley, Early was to invade Maryland, putting pressure on the Federal capital, Washington, DC. By the first week of July, Confederates had entered Maryland and caught Union forces largely off guard. As the Federals scrambled to gather a defensive force, Major General Lew Wallace and roughly 3,200 inexperienced troops of the Middle Department, headed west from Baltimore, MD and took up a position just south of Frederick, MD at Monocacy Junction along the Monocacy River. Grant ordered the third division of the Sixth Corps north, hoping they would reach Maryland in time to slow Early’s advance. By the morning of July 9th, nearly 6,600 Union troops had gathered near Monocacy Junction, with Wallace in command. Early’s 15,000 Confederates were to the north in Frederick. The stage for battle was set.
The Battle of Monocacy began around 8:30 a.m. when Confederate skirmishers, commanded by General Stephen Ramseur, advanced south along the Georgetown Pike and encountered Union infantry near Monocacy Junction. Wallace placed troops north of Monocacy Junction and a wooden covered bridge that carried the pike over the Monocacy River, blocking Early’s best route to Washington. Ramseur’s division continued to pressure Union forces near Monocacy Junction throughout the day, but they were unable to drive back the Union defense, composed of troops from Maryland and Vermont.
After encountering resistance near Monocacy Junction, Confederates looked for another way to cross the river. Confederate General John McCausland’s cavalrymen found the Worthington Ford almost a mile downriver of the wooden covered bridge, and by 10:30 a.m. had begun to cross, placing pressure on Wallace’s forces south of the river. When Wallace learned of the Confederate presence south of the Monocacy, he ordered the wooden covered bridge burned to protect his new right flank as he shifted his main battle lines to the west onto the Thomas Farm.
The first Confederate attack south of the Monocacy began around 11:00 a.m., as McCausland’s men advanced east and encountered Federal infantry from Union General James Ricketts’s Sixth Corps division. McCausland was repulsed, and formed for another attack around 2:00 p.m., moving from the Worthington Farm toward the Thomas House. While the Confederates gained control of the Thomas Farm, they were soon pushed back by Federal forces in a savage counter attack.
In the midst of McCausland’s second cavalry attack, help was on the way for the Confederates. Confederate General John B. Gordon’s division forded the Monocacy River using the Worthington Ford and by mid-afternoon was ready to attack. Near 3:30 p.m. Gordon’s three brigades swept forward en echelon from right, moving from Brooks Hill toward the Union line on the Thomas Farm. The fighting was fierce, with heavy casualties falling on both sides. The Union battle line began to waver and then fell back toward the Georgetown Pike. Confederates where able to threaten and eventually turn the Union right flank, Wallace had no choice but to retreat from the field to save his remaining men. By 5:00 p.m., the Federals were in full retreat to the east, and Confederates would take the field. During the fighting roughly 2,200 men had been killed, wounded, captured, or were listed as missing (900 Confederate, 1,300 Federal).
While the Confederates had won the Battle of Monocacy, Lew Wallace was ultimately successful. His efforts had delayed Jubal Early’s advance long enough for additional Union reinforcements to reach Washington D.C. By the time Early’s men reached the capital on July 11, help had arrived in the Federal capital. Some fighting and skirmishing occurred near Fort Stevens on the city’s outskirts, but Early was unable to take Washington. Early and his men withdrew back into Maryland and eventually crossed the Potomac River back into Virginia. Their campaign was over.
Monocacy was not one of the largest battles of the Civil War, but it had an impact much larger than many know. Early had successfully reached Washington, forcing Grant to send reinforcements northward, but his campaign was ultimately foiled by the delaying tactics of Lew Wallace and his men at Monocacy on July 9. Because of this, the Battle of Monocacy has forever been known as “The Battle That Saved Washington.”
FYI SFC Ralph E Kelley CWO3 Dennis M. SFC William Farrell Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. LTC Greg Henning COL Mikel J. Burroughs SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SMSgt Mark Venzeio Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT Steve McFarland SGT James Murphy SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SPC Nancy Greene SSG Franklin Briant SSG Samuel Kermon TSgt David L. CSM Charles Hayden SGT John " Mac " McConnell Sgt John H.
Yet Monocacy, Frederick County, Maryland was a tactical victory for Jubal Early and caused LTG Grant to be concerned about his lines of communication as the Army of the Potomac was engaged at Petersburg in the lengthy siege campaign there.
By the way the lower right image is not from Monacacy it is a relatively famous painting from the battle of Shiloh.
'Union artillery firing on advancing confederate infantry, ‘Hornets Nest, Battle of Shiloh painting by Thure de Thulstrup'
July 9, 1864. Monocacy: The battle that saved Washington DC. with Ranger Mannie Gentile
The redemption of Union general Lew Wallace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLAT21LK4cg
Image:
1. Battle of Monocacy map by Jedediah Hotchkiss
2. Battle of Monacacy, July 9, 1864
3. The 8th Illinois Cav. at the Battle of Monocacy
4. Monocacy - July 9, 1864
Background from {[https://www.nps.gov/mono/learn/historyculture/the-battle-of-monocacy.htm]}
The Battle of Monocacy
Field maps, like this one made of the Battle of Monocacy by Jedediah Hotchkiss, provided valuable aid to commanders planning battle strategies. In the summer of 1864, the American Civil War was still a long way from conclusion. Union and Confederate armies were still spread out across the country, with battles and campaigns still racking up casualties by the thousands. With Union forces under Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant deep in Virginia at Petersburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee devised a bold plan. Lee ordered General Jubal Early to take the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia and link up with General John C. Breckenridge to clear the Shenandoah Valley. After securing the Valley, Early was to invade Maryland, putting pressure on the Federal capital, Washington, DC. By the first week of July, Confederates had entered Maryland and caught Union forces largely off guard. As the Federals scrambled to gather a defensive force, Major General Lew Wallace and roughly 3,200 inexperienced troops of the Middle Department, headed west from Baltimore, MD and took up a position just south of Frederick, MD at Monocacy Junction along the Monocacy River. Grant ordered the third division of the Sixth Corps north, hoping they would reach Maryland in time to slow Early’s advance. By the morning of July 9th, nearly 6,600 Union troops had gathered near Monocacy Junction, with Wallace in command. Early’s 15,000 Confederates were to the north in Frederick. The stage for battle was set.
The Battle of Monocacy began around 8:30 a.m. when Confederate skirmishers, commanded by General Stephen Ramseur, advanced south along the Georgetown Pike and encountered Union infantry near Monocacy Junction. Wallace placed troops north of Monocacy Junction and a wooden covered bridge that carried the pike over the Monocacy River, blocking Early’s best route to Washington. Ramseur’s division continued to pressure Union forces near Monocacy Junction throughout the day, but they were unable to drive back the Union defense, composed of troops from Maryland and Vermont.
After encountering resistance near Monocacy Junction, Confederates looked for another way to cross the river. Confederate General John McCausland’s cavalrymen found the Worthington Ford almost a mile downriver of the wooden covered bridge, and by 10:30 a.m. had begun to cross, placing pressure on Wallace’s forces south of the river. When Wallace learned of the Confederate presence south of the Monocacy, he ordered the wooden covered bridge burned to protect his new right flank as he shifted his main battle lines to the west onto the Thomas Farm.
The first Confederate attack south of the Monocacy began around 11:00 a.m., as McCausland’s men advanced east and encountered Federal infantry from Union General James Ricketts’s Sixth Corps division. McCausland was repulsed, and formed for another attack around 2:00 p.m., moving from the Worthington Farm toward the Thomas House. While the Confederates gained control of the Thomas Farm, they were soon pushed back by Federal forces in a savage counter attack.
In the midst of McCausland’s second cavalry attack, help was on the way for the Confederates. Confederate General John B. Gordon’s division forded the Monocacy River using the Worthington Ford and by mid-afternoon was ready to attack. Near 3:30 p.m. Gordon’s three brigades swept forward en echelon from right, moving from Brooks Hill toward the Union line on the Thomas Farm. The fighting was fierce, with heavy casualties falling on both sides. The Union battle line began to waver and then fell back toward the Georgetown Pike. Confederates where able to threaten and eventually turn the Union right flank, Wallace had no choice but to retreat from the field to save his remaining men. By 5:00 p.m., the Federals were in full retreat to the east, and Confederates would take the field. During the fighting roughly 2,200 men had been killed, wounded, captured, or were listed as missing (900 Confederate, 1,300 Federal).
While the Confederates had won the Battle of Monocacy, Lew Wallace was ultimately successful. His efforts had delayed Jubal Early’s advance long enough for additional Union reinforcements to reach Washington D.C. By the time Early’s men reached the capital on July 11, help had arrived in the Federal capital. Some fighting and skirmishing occurred near Fort Stevens on the city’s outskirts, but Early was unable to take Washington. Early and his men withdrew back into Maryland and eventually crossed the Potomac River back into Virginia. Their campaign was over.
Monocacy was not one of the largest battles of the Civil War, but it had an impact much larger than many know. Early had successfully reached Washington, forcing Grant to send reinforcements northward, but his campaign was ultimately foiled by the delaying tactics of Lew Wallace and his men at Monocacy on July 9. Because of this, the Battle of Monocacy has forever been known as “The Battle That Saved Washington.”
FYI SFC Ralph E Kelley CWO3 Dennis M. SFC William Farrell Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. LTC Greg Henning COL Mikel J. Burroughs SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SMSgt Mark Venzeio Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT Steve McFarland SGT James Murphy SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SPC Nancy Greene SSG Franklin Briant SSG Samuel Kermon TSgt David L. CSM Charles Hayden SGT John " Mac " McConnell Sgt John H.
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LTC Stephen F.
The Battle of Monocacy; attack on Washington D.C.
Thw Confederacy's last great invasion of the north (The battle of Monocacy), in July 1864,. The army of Northern Virginia, lead by Jubal Early planned atta...
The Battle of Monocacy; attack on Washington D.C.
Thw Confederacy's last great invasion of the north (The battle of Monocacy), in July 1864,. The army of Northern Virginia, lead by Jubal Early planned attack on the nations capital; D.C.
The pivotal Battle of Monocacy was lead by confederate General Jubal Early. The desperate defense by Union General Lew Wallace. The Confederates reaching the gates of Washington, and missing their chance to capture the Union Capitol by minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRD5O-jnmU8
Background from {[https://www.mycivilwar.com/battles/640709.html]}
BATTLE SUMMARY
The Battle of Monocacy was also known as the Battle of Monocacy Junction. The battle was part of Early's Raid through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland, attempting to divert Union forces away from Gen. Robert E. Lee's army under siege at Petersburg, Virginia. Reacting to Early's raid, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant dispatched a 5,000-man division under Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts on July 6, and a few days later sent a full corps under Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright. Until those troops arrived, however, the only Union army between Early and Washington, D.C. was Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace's men. At the time, Wallace was headquartered at Baltimore. Most of his men had never seen any combat.
On July 5-6 , after marching north through the Shenandoah Valley from Lynchburg, Early's army side-stepped the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry and crossed the Potomac River at Shepherdstown into Maryland. Wallace learned that a large Confederate force was advancing. Uncertain whether Baltimore or Washington, D.C. was the Confederate's objective, he knew he had to delay their approach until reinforcements could reach either city.
At Frederick, Early demanded, and received, $200,000 ransom to forestall his destruction of the city. Frederick Junction, also called Monocacy Junction, 3 miles southeast of Frederick, was the logical point of defense for both cities. The Georgetown Pike to Washington and the National Road to Baltimore both crossed the Monocacy River there as did the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. If Wallace could stretch his little army over 6 miles of riverfront to protect both turnpike bridges, the railroad bridge, and several fords, he could make Early disclose the strength and objective of the Confederate force and delay him as long as possible.
Wallace's prospects brightened with word that the first contingent of Grant's Veterans, the troops commanded by Ricketts, had reached Baltimore and were rushing by rail to join Wallace at the Monocacy.
On July 9 , Wallace's army attempted to stop Early's invading Confederate divisions along the Monocacy River, just east of Frederick. Wallace had mainly Home Guards and militia, but was joined by Ricketts's Division of the VI Corps that had been rushed from the Petersburg lines. He had two areas to defend: the coastal Maryland cities which had strong Confederate sympathies, and Washington D.C. He knew he wasn't likely to beat Early's veterans, nor could he pull back and defend one target, because Early would simply move on the other. He bravely moved west and made sure he would delay, if not defeat, Early.
The combined forces of Wallace and Ricketts were positioned at the bridges and fords of the river. The higher elevation of the Monocacy River's east bank formed a natural breastwork for some of the soldiers. Others occupied 2-block houses, the trenches they had dug with a few available tools, or took what cover they could among the fences and crops of once peaceful farms.
The Union line brought the Confederate advance guard under enough fire that it had to deploy; then a second division had to deploy and turn Wallace's flank.
Maj. Gen. Dodson Ramseur's division encountered Wallace's troops on the Georgetown Pike near the Best Farm; Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes's division clashed with the Federals on the National Road. Believing that a frontal attack across the Monocacy would be too costly, Early sent Col. John McCausland's cavalry down Buckeystown Road to find a ford and outflank the Union line. Confederates penetrated the Monocacy defenses below the McKinney-Worthington Ford and attacked Wallace's left flank.
Some of the heaviest fighting took place where they confronted Ricketts's veterans at a fence separating the Worthington Farm and the Thomas Farm. The Federals fought fiercely to hold position, but it was only a matter of time before the superior Confederate force gained control. A 3-pronged attack of Confederate's from Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon's division pushed Ricketts back toward the National Road where he was joined by the beleaguered troops who had fought Ramseur and Rodes all day. Wallace had to pull back or face the annihilation of his army.
Early didn't pursue, though he might have been able to destroy Wallace's force. Instead he kept his eye on the main prize, and moved his men on the Washington road. Hearing of Early's incursion into Maryland, Grant embarked the rest of the VI Corps on transports at City Point, sending it with all dispatch to Washington D.C.
By late afternoon, the Federals were retreating toward Baltimore. Later, Wallace gave orders to collect the bodies of the dead in a burial ground on the battlefield. His defeat at Monocacy bought time for the veterans to arrive to bolster the defenses of Washington. Monocacy was called the " Battle that Saved Washington ."
The way lay open to Washington, D.C. for the Confederate army.
On July 10 , the Confederates marched on, and by midday Monday, Early stood inside the District of Columbia at the earthworks of Fort Stevens, which he assaulted unsuccessfully on July 11.
Monocacy cost Early a day's march and his chance to capture Washington, D.C. Thwarted in the attempt to take the capital, the Confederates turned back to Virginia, ending their last campaign to carry the war into the North.
Grant assessed Wallace's delaying tactics at Monocacy: "If Early had been but one day earlier, he might have entered the capital before the arrival of the reinforcements I had sent .... General Wallace contributed on this occasion by the defeat of the troops under him, a greater benefit to the cause than often falls to the lot of a commander of an equal force to render by means of a victory."
FYI GySgt Thomas VickSFC (Join to see)SFC (Join to see)MSG (Join to see)SSG Robert WebsterCSM Chuck StaffordPFC Craig Karshner1SG Mark Rudoplh LTC Ken ConnollyCPT Richard TrioneSGT (Join to see)SSG Bill McCoySGT Herbert BollumMSgt James Clark-RosaSGT (Join to see)MGySgt (Join to see)SPC Steve Irvine1LT Voyle SmithGySgt Jack WallaceBrad Miller
Thw Confederacy's last great invasion of the north (The battle of Monocacy), in July 1864,. The army of Northern Virginia, lead by Jubal Early planned attack on the nations capital; D.C.
The pivotal Battle of Monocacy was lead by confederate General Jubal Early. The desperate defense by Union General Lew Wallace. The Confederates reaching the gates of Washington, and missing their chance to capture the Union Capitol by minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRD5O-jnmU8
Background from {[https://www.mycivilwar.com/battles/640709.html]}
BATTLE SUMMARY
The Battle of Monocacy was also known as the Battle of Monocacy Junction. The battle was part of Early's Raid through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland, attempting to divert Union forces away from Gen. Robert E. Lee's army under siege at Petersburg, Virginia. Reacting to Early's raid, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant dispatched a 5,000-man division under Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts on July 6, and a few days later sent a full corps under Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright. Until those troops arrived, however, the only Union army between Early and Washington, D.C. was Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace's men. At the time, Wallace was headquartered at Baltimore. Most of his men had never seen any combat.
On July 5-6 , after marching north through the Shenandoah Valley from Lynchburg, Early's army side-stepped the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry and crossed the Potomac River at Shepherdstown into Maryland. Wallace learned that a large Confederate force was advancing. Uncertain whether Baltimore or Washington, D.C. was the Confederate's objective, he knew he had to delay their approach until reinforcements could reach either city.
At Frederick, Early demanded, and received, $200,000 ransom to forestall his destruction of the city. Frederick Junction, also called Monocacy Junction, 3 miles southeast of Frederick, was the logical point of defense for both cities. The Georgetown Pike to Washington and the National Road to Baltimore both crossed the Monocacy River there as did the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. If Wallace could stretch his little army over 6 miles of riverfront to protect both turnpike bridges, the railroad bridge, and several fords, he could make Early disclose the strength and objective of the Confederate force and delay him as long as possible.
Wallace's prospects brightened with word that the first contingent of Grant's Veterans, the troops commanded by Ricketts, had reached Baltimore and were rushing by rail to join Wallace at the Monocacy.
On July 9 , Wallace's army attempted to stop Early's invading Confederate divisions along the Monocacy River, just east of Frederick. Wallace had mainly Home Guards and militia, but was joined by Ricketts's Division of the VI Corps that had been rushed from the Petersburg lines. He had two areas to defend: the coastal Maryland cities which had strong Confederate sympathies, and Washington D.C. He knew he wasn't likely to beat Early's veterans, nor could he pull back and defend one target, because Early would simply move on the other. He bravely moved west and made sure he would delay, if not defeat, Early.
The combined forces of Wallace and Ricketts were positioned at the bridges and fords of the river. The higher elevation of the Monocacy River's east bank formed a natural breastwork for some of the soldiers. Others occupied 2-block houses, the trenches they had dug with a few available tools, or took what cover they could among the fences and crops of once peaceful farms.
The Union line brought the Confederate advance guard under enough fire that it had to deploy; then a second division had to deploy and turn Wallace's flank.
Maj. Gen. Dodson Ramseur's division encountered Wallace's troops on the Georgetown Pike near the Best Farm; Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes's division clashed with the Federals on the National Road. Believing that a frontal attack across the Monocacy would be too costly, Early sent Col. John McCausland's cavalry down Buckeystown Road to find a ford and outflank the Union line. Confederates penetrated the Monocacy defenses below the McKinney-Worthington Ford and attacked Wallace's left flank.
Some of the heaviest fighting took place where they confronted Ricketts's veterans at a fence separating the Worthington Farm and the Thomas Farm. The Federals fought fiercely to hold position, but it was only a matter of time before the superior Confederate force gained control. A 3-pronged attack of Confederate's from Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon's division pushed Ricketts back toward the National Road where he was joined by the beleaguered troops who had fought Ramseur and Rodes all day. Wallace had to pull back or face the annihilation of his army.
Early didn't pursue, though he might have been able to destroy Wallace's force. Instead he kept his eye on the main prize, and moved his men on the Washington road. Hearing of Early's incursion into Maryland, Grant embarked the rest of the VI Corps on transports at City Point, sending it with all dispatch to Washington D.C.
By late afternoon, the Federals were retreating toward Baltimore. Later, Wallace gave orders to collect the bodies of the dead in a burial ground on the battlefield. His defeat at Monocacy bought time for the veterans to arrive to bolster the defenses of Washington. Monocacy was called the " Battle that Saved Washington ."
The way lay open to Washington, D.C. for the Confederate army.
On July 10 , the Confederates marched on, and by midday Monday, Early stood inside the District of Columbia at the earthworks of Fort Stevens, which he assaulted unsuccessfully on July 11.
Monocacy cost Early a day's march and his chance to capture Washington, D.C. Thwarted in the attempt to take the capital, the Confederates turned back to Virginia, ending their last campaign to carry the war into the North.
Grant assessed Wallace's delaying tactics at Monocacy: "If Early had been but one day earlier, he might have entered the capital before the arrival of the reinforcements I had sent .... General Wallace contributed on this occasion by the defeat of the troops under him, a greater benefit to the cause than often falls to the lot of a commander of an equal force to render by means of a victory."
FYI GySgt Thomas VickSFC (Join to see)SFC (Join to see)MSG (Join to see)SSG Robert WebsterCSM Chuck StaffordPFC Craig Karshner1SG Mark Rudoplh LTC Ken ConnollyCPT Richard TrioneSGT (Join to see)SSG Bill McCoySGT Herbert BollumMSgt James Clark-RosaSGT (Join to see)MGySgt (Join to see)SPC Steve Irvine1LT Voyle SmithGySgt Jack WallaceBrad Miller
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Good morning, sir. Again my thanks for bringing another, unknown, battle to me. I have read about the major battles but these smaller battles had huge implications for both sides.
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