The Battle of Monocacy Junction


In the summer of 1864 Confederate General Robert E. Lee dispatched a force of Confederate infantry under General Jubal Early down the Shenandoah Valley to threaten Washington.  On July 9, 1864, Early moved out of Frederick, Maryland, to march on Washington.  Elements of the Union VI and VIII Corps under General Lew Wallace (future author of Ben Hur) had taken up positions south of the Monocacy River to dispute Early's advance.  Wallace hoped to delay the Confederates.  Because he was heavily outnumbered he could not expect to actually defeat them.  After discovering a ford the Confederates launched an attack across the Monocacy, outflanking and defeating the Union forces.  The Confederates, however,  required a day to drive off Wallace's forces.  When Early reached the outskirts of Washington, the remainder of Horatio Wright's VI Corps was arriving at the wharves in Washington.

The Battle of Monocacy Junction should not have been fought by the Confederates at all.  They suffered heavy casualties forcing a position which they could have easily outflanked to the west by advancing through Buckeystown to Urbana.

 
At left is an aerial photograph of the Monocacy Battlefield.  Important sites are indicated.  Click on the images to see a larger version of the photograph.
This is the monument erected during the Civil War Centennial.  The fields behind the monument were part of the Best Farm.  Confederate artillery batteries were unlimbered in the open fields to fire on the Union forces on the south side of the Monocacy River.
The 14th New Jersey was one of the VIII Corps units that fought at Monocacy Junction.  The 14th New Jersey was one of two Union regiments that participated in an assault on the Thomas House ('Araby') late in the battle.   John B. Gordons's Confederate division advanced across the distant fields to reach the ford where it crossed the river.   Union skirmishers fighting in this area under the command of  Lt. George Davis of the 10th Vermont held an entire Confederate infantry division at bay, denying it access to the highway and railroad bridge that crossed the river near this site.  In 1892 Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership.
Gambrill's Mill is the present National Park Headquarters.  During the battle it was a Union army field hospital.
The Confederates outflanked the Union left, advancing over the crest of Brook's Hill.  The band of trees in the middle distance masks Interstate 270.
The Thomas House ('Araby') (in the grove of trees in the distance) was the focus of heavy fighting between Confederate dismounted cavalry and the Union troops of James Rickett's division of the VI Corps early in the battle.  Later, Confederate infantry overran the house and an assault by two Union regiments up the farm lane (band of trees in the distance on the right) recovered it temporarily.   According to some accounts Generals Grant and Sheridan met in an upstairs room of the Thomas House to plan Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley.
The 10th Vermont monument is located at the intersection of the Baker Valley Road and the Araby Church Road (in 1864 the main road to Washington).  The 10th Vermont formed the extreme left of Rickett's Division.   This location was a rally point for Rickett's troops in the seesaw fighting over the Thomas Farm.  Lt Davis of the 10th Vermont won the Medal of Honor at the Monocacy (citation: "While in command of a small force, held the approaches to the two bridges against repeated assaults of superior numbers, thereby materially delaying Early's advance on Washington").

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