Battle of Monocacy River  "Defense of The Capital"  July 9, 1864

In the summer of 1963, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee knew that if the war in Virginia continued to be fought in the trenches of Petersburg, the prospects of a Confederate victory were dim. The mobility of the Army of Northern Virginia had been one key to its many successes, and a static defense of the Confederate capital of Richmond had to be avoided. Lee divided his army and sent a part of it to attack the federal rear; maybe that would force Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to make a move that would allow Lee to break out of the stranglehold at Petersburg.

The Confederate army's ragged 2nd Corps, now only 10,000 strong in four divisions and commanded by irascible Gen. Jubal A. Early, was chosen to make the raid along with about 4,000 cavalry and 40 guns. They set out by train on June 13 to the Shenandoah Valley, where they quickly dispersed the Union opposition, crossed the Potomac River, and headed straight for the city of Washington.

Union Gen. Lewis Wallace headed west with a small force to oppose the Rebel raiders while a desperate plea for reinforcements was sent to Grant at Petersburg. Wallace took a defensive position east of the river where he could meet the Rebels as they crossed one of the three bridges spanning the Monocacy River near Frederick, MD. He gradually added more to his numbers until he had amassed more than 5,000 defenders to protect the nation's capital city.

The first Confederate troops arrived on the morning of July 9 and forced the federal pickets back into the Union positions on the east side of the river. About 850 Virginia cavalrymen crossed the river at a downstream ford and advanced toward Wallace's left flank. As they moved through a field, more than 2,000 Union soldiers arose from behind a fence and fired a murderous volley that decimated the front ranks and sent the rest reeling back toward the river. General Early quickly ordered more of his command to cross the river and roust the blue soldiers from their position.

Fascinating Fact:  Gen. "Lew" Wallace is best known as the author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.


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