Battle of Monocacy at 160

By Guy Fletcher

The Battle of Monocacy has always been at a crossroads of sorts—geographically, historically, even culturally. While Frederick County provides excellent access for history buffs and other tourists exploring important (and popular) Civil War sites elsewhere in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, many visitors overlook the significance of the battlefield straddling Md. 355 just south of the City of Frederick.

“It is one of the most important but least appreciated and least understood battles of the Civil War,” says Brad Stone, board member of the Monocacy National Battlefield Foundation, a nonprofit that partners with the National Park Service in preserving, protecting and promoting the battlefield.

It was here on July 9, 1864, that greatly outnumbered and outgunned Union forces led by Gen. Lew Wallace fought Confederate forces under the command of Gen. Jubal Early. The Confederates eventually overwhelmed the federal troops and advanced toward Washington, D.C., but the day-long Battle of Monocacy provided the U.S. Army enough time to reinforce defenses protecting the capital. Early’s invasion ended before it began.

“Had the battle not happened, it would have been taught in every history class that the Confederates entered the federal capital in 1864,” says Tracy Evans, acting chief for resource education and visitor services at Monocacy National Battlefield

This month, the battlefield will mark its 160th anniversary with a three-day series of events, starting July 5, including hikes, talks, demonstrations and more. Highlights include ranger-led car caravans, artillery and infantry programs, and a panel discussion at Frederick City Hall. All events, except for an 8 a.m. Jug Bridge program on July 7, will include ASL interpreters. For a complete list of events, go to www.nps.gov/mono. 

The events recognize a battle that usually gets far less attention than the nearby Civil War sites in Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, Pa., and Harpers Ferry, W.Va. “There are a lot of great historical sites in the area, but this one is often overlooked,” Stone says.

The echoes from Monocacy continued long after the battle, bolstering pro-Union partisans in the border state of Maryland who celebrated the defense of Washington. On Nov. 1, 1864, Maryland law abolished slavery, more than a year before ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibited slavery nationwide.

Early was undaunted by his failure to take Washington and the Confederate surrender the following year, spending the rest of his life defending his actions during the war and becoming among the most vocal in justifying the Confederacy, promoting what became known as the Lost Cause myth. As for Wallace, he would go on to write the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, one of best-selling American novels of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The book was adapted into a movie starring Charlton Heston in 1959, winning a record 11 Academy Awards.

“[The Battle of Monocacy] had some lasting ramifications,” Stone says.