Overview
The Battle of Monocacy took place near Frederick, Maryland, on July 9, 1864, during Early’s Valley Campaign. General Jubal Early led approximately 14,000 Confederate soldiers north through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland. Union officials remained uncertain whether Early intended to attack Baltimore or Washington.
General Lew Wallace responded by gathering approximately 5,800 Union soldiers near Monocacy Junction. His force included inexperienced troops from the Potomac Home Brigade and Ohio National Guard, along with General James B. Ricketts’ veteran division. Wallace defended bridges used by the Georgetown Pike, National Road, and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
Confederate troops attacked at sunrise. After encountering strong Union defenses near the bridges, Early sent soldiers across a ford south of the Union position. Ricketts’ division stopped several assaults and inflicted heavy Confederate losses. At approximately 3:30 p.m., Confederate forces launched another attack that broke the Union left. Wallace ordered a retreat as his troops ran low on ammunition.
Early won a tactical victory, but Wallace achieved an important strategic result. The Union defense delayed Early’s march toward Washington for one day, allowing reinforcements to reach Fort Stevens. Early later withdrew into the Shenandoah Valley, and Monocacy became known as the “Battle That Saved Washington.”
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of Monocacy Junction and Battle of Monocacy River.
- Date: July 9, 1864.
- Location: Frederick County, just east of Frederick, Maryland.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: Lew Wallace, James B. Ricketts.
- CSA Commanders: Jubal Early, John Gordon.
- Who Won: The Confederate States won the Battle of Monocacy.
- Campaign: Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 and Early’s Valley Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, May–August, 1864.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 1,294 killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
- Forces Engaged: A temporary force composed largely of Hundred Days Men and Ricketts’ veteran division.
- Troop Strength: Approximately 5,800 soldiers.
Confederate States of America
- CSA Casualties: Approximately 700 to 900 killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
- CSA Forces Engaged: Army of the Valley.
- CSA Troop Strength: Approximately 14,000 soldiers.
Significance
The Battle of Monocacy is important to American History because Union forces delayed a Confederate advance toward Washington. Although General Jubal Early won the battle, the delay allowed General Ulysses S. Grant to reinforce the capital’s defenses at Fort Stevens. Early determined that he could not capture Washington and withdrew into the Shenandoah Valley. A Confederate occupation of the capital could have damaged President Abraham Lincoln’s re-election campaign and weakened Northern support for continuing the war. The delay helped protect Washington, and Monocacy became known as the “Battle That Saved Washington.”
History
Grant’s Umbrella Strategy
On March 12, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as General-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States. Upon his arrival in Washington, Grant drafted a plan to have the various Union armies in the field act in concert and strike the Confederacy from several directions. Grant would travel with Major General George Meade and the Army of the Potomac in pursuit of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in the Richmond, Virginia area; Major General William T. Sherman would march three Federal armies south from Chattanooga, Tennessee to capture Atlanta, Georgia; and Major General Franz Sigel would invade western Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to cut off supplies to Lee’s army and to prevent any Confederate attempts to attack Meade’s flank.
Battle of Lynchburg
As Grant pressed Robert E. Lee in eastern Virginia during the spring and summer, Lee devised a plan to divert Union forces away from his army. Lee designated Lieutenant General Jubal Early and his corps as the Army of the Valley and, in June, ordered Early to leave Petersburg, Virginia and to re-deploy his army to the Shenandoah Valley. On June 17 and 18, Early’s army defeated Union forces under the command of Major General David Hunter at the Battle of Lynchburg, leaving control of the valley in Confederate hands.
Early’s Valley Campaign
After driving Federal forces out of the Shenandoah Valley, Early launched his own offensive. His operations got off to a good start as he marched his 14,000-man army north through the valley unimpeded. Federal leaders were unclear about the size of Early’s army and about his intentions.
Grant Sends Reinforcements
On July 2, John Garrett, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, warned Union officials in Washington about a large Confederate army headed toward Maryland. Major General Lew Wallace, commander of the Middle Department (which included Maryland west to the Monocacy River), marched west with approximately 2,500 soldiers to investigate. Most of Wallace’s troops were inexperienced soldiers of the Potomac Home Brigade and the Ohio National Guard. Wallace quickly determined that Early commanded a substantial army, and he telegraphed Grant requesting reinforcements. Grant immediately dispatched a 5,000-man division commanded by Brigadier General James B. Ricketts to Maryland to bolster Wallace’s forces. A few days later, Grant sent an additional corps commanded by Major General Horatio G. Wright.
Wallace Deploys Along the Monocacy River
Unsure if Early’s destination was Baltimore or Washington, Wallace deployed his troops along a three-mile stretch of the Monocacy River near Monocacy Junction on July 5. The Georgetown Pike to Washington, the National Road to Baltimore, and the B&O Railroad all crossed the river in that vicinity. Wallace reasoned that, by defending the three bridges, he could stall the Confederate advance until reinforcements arrived, regardless of Early’s ambitions.
Early Moves into Maryland
On July 5 and 6, Early moved his Army of the Valley across the Potomac River into Maryland at Shepherdstown. Heavy skirmishing took place on July 7 and 8, as Early advanced toward Frederick. On July 8, Ricketts’ division arrived at Monocacy Junction, enlarging Wallace’s force to approximately 5,800 soldiers. Wallace deployed Ricketts’ men on the left end of his line, where he expected a Confederate flanking movement.
Battle of Monocacy Begins
At sunrise on the morning of July 9, the Battle of Monocacy began when a Confederate division encountered Federal skirmishers as they advanced along the Georgetown Pike toward the bridge over the Monocacy River. On the Union right, another Confederate division clashed with Federals on the National Road. Recognizing the strength of Wallace’s defenses around the bridges, Early sought a place to ford the river and to attack the Union left flank, as Wallace had expected.
Federals Repel First Confederate Assault
The Confederates found a ford approximately one mile to the south, and by 11 a.m., they had crossed the river. The Confederates expected to face inexperienced soldiers. Instead, Ricketts’ veteran division withstood three assaults and inflicted heavy casualties on the Confederates.
Federals Repel Second Confederate Assault
At around 2:30 p.m., the Confederates, reinforced by three brigades from Major General John B. Gordon’s division, launched another assault on Ricketts’ division. Once more, the Federals held.
Third Confederate Assault Breaches Union Line
Finally, at 3:30, Gordon ordered another attack that broke the Union left. With Gordon on his left and his troops running low on ammunition, Wallace ordered a general retreat between 4:30 and 5 o’clock.
Grant Relieves Wallace and Then Reinstates Him
Wallace reached Baltimore on July 11 to learn that Grant had relieved him of his command for retreating. To Grant’s credit, however, he realized his mistake and reinstated Wallace two weeks later.
Tactical Confederate Victory
The Battle of Monocacy was a tactical victory for Early because he forced Wallace’s soldiers from the field. The victory was costly, however. Gordon lost one-third of his division during the attacks on Ricketts’ division, and somewhere between 700 and 900 Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured in the battle. The Federals suffered 1,294 casualties, a high total, given the number of Union soldiers in the conflict.
Strategic Federal Victory
Despite suffering heavier losses and being forced to retreat, however, Wallace enjoyed a strategic victory. His makeshift force stalled Early’s advance on the nation’s capital for one vital day, buying time for Grant’s reinforcements to arrive and to prevent the Confederates from occupying Washington.
There is little doubt that Early intended to assault the nation’s capital. In a dispatch to Robert E. Lee, dated June 28, Early stated that he was proceeding “to threaten Washington and if I find the opportunity – to take it.” On July 7, after capturing Frederick, Early informed Lee that “I move on Washington.” A successful assault on Washington might have been catastrophic for President Lincoln’s re-election bid in November and the Union war effort. Coupled with Grant’s mounting casualty totals in eastern Virginia, Southerners had good reason to hope that the Northern electorate might opt for a peace candidate and a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy to end the war.
Battle that Saved Washington
When Early entered the District of Columbia on July 11, he discovered that Grant had reinforced the Union garrison at Fort Stevens. After a few skirmishes and artillery barrages that day and the next, Early realized that the Federal defenders had dashed his hopes to capture Washington, and he retreated into the Shenandoah Valley. In his memoirs, Grant acknowledged that:
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.
Because Wallace’s small force held back the Confederate advance for one crucial day, the Battle of Monocacy became known as the “Battle that Saved Washington.”
Timeline
- 1864, March 12 — President Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant General-in-Chief of the United States Armies.
- 1864, June — Lee ordered Early to leave Petersburg and move his army to the Shenandoah Valley.
- 1864, June 17–18 — Early defeated General David Hunter at the Battle of Lynchburg.
- 1864, June 28 — Early informed Lee that he planned to threaten Washington and capture it if possible.
- 1864, July 2 — Union officials were warned that a large Confederate Army was moving toward Maryland.
- 1864, July 5 — Lew Wallace deployed his troops along the Monocacy River near Monocacy Junction.
- 1864, July 5–6 — Early moved the Army of the Valley across the Potomac River into Maryland.
- 1864, July 7–8 — Union and Confederate forces skirmished as Early advanced toward Frederick.
- 1864, July 7 — Early informed Lee that he was moving toward Washington.
- 1864, July 8 — James B. Ricketts’ division arrived at Monocacy Junction and increased Wallace’s force to approximately 5,800 soldiers.
- 1864, July 9
- Confederate troops attacked Wallace’s defenses along the Monocacy River.
- Ricketts’ division stopped several Confederate assaults.
- Gordon’s final attack broke the Union left, forcing Wallace to order a retreat.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Monocacy (1864) — The Battle of Monocacy was fought in Frederick County, Maryland, on July 9, 1864, during Early’s Valley Campaign. General Lew Wallace deployed about 5,800 Union soldiers along the Monocacy River to block General Jubal Early’s 14,000-man army as it moved toward Washington, D.C. Union forces stopped several Confederate attacks before a final assault broke the Union left. Although Early won the battle, Wallace delayed the Confederate advance toward Washington for one crucial day, earning it the nickname, “The Battle that Saved Washington.”
Alignment
The Battle of Monocacy is part of the following AP US History sections:
