Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield is the site of a major battle fought on July 9, 1864. The battlefield straddles the Monocacy River southeast of the city of Frederick, Maryland. The battle, labeled "The Battle That Saved Washington," was one of the last the Confederates would carry out in Union territory. The two opposing leaders were General Jubal Early, fighting for the South, and General Lew Wallace, leading the North. Although Wallace was outnumbered nearly two-to-one, he was able to hold off Early's troops for six hours, buying time for Union reinforcements to arrive from Washington. When Early finally began his withdrawal late in the afternoon, he had suffered significant losses, while the Union forces had sustained only moderate casualties. The Battle of Monocacy proved to be a turning point in the Civil War, as it prevented Early's troops from carrying out a potentially devastating assault on Washington. As a result, the city was saved and the Union army was able to maintain its momentum in the war effort.