Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History

The Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, was a significant yet little-known Civil War engagement fought in corn and wheat fields four miles south of Frederick, Maryland. Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early commanded approximately 12,000 battle-hardened troops against Union General Lew Wallace's roughly 5,800 soldiers, many inexperienced. The Union suffered around 1,300 casualties while Early's forces sustained approximately 800, resulting in a Confederate victory—the northernmost of the war. Two days later, Early positioned his exhausted troops outside Fort Stevens at Washington, D.C.'s northwestern edge, facing a critical decision: whether to invade the capital. Robert E. Lee had ordered Early in June to move north through Maryland after wreaking havoc in the Shenandoah Valley, with invasion authorized if conditions permitted. Washington's defenses at that moment consisted mainly of inexperienced soldiers and the Veteran Reserve Corps, creating vulnerability. Early delayed his attack, allowing General Grant to rush veteran reinforcements from Richmond. The delay proved decisive—Grant's troops arrived as Early contemplated invasion. Though Early engaged Union forces at Fort Stevens, no invasion occurred. President Lincoln visited the fort during fighting, becoming the only sitting president to come under fire in combat. Historian Marc Leepson argues that had Early attacked one day earlier, the war's outcome could have differed significantly. The book draws on primary sources including memoirs, official records, newspapers, diaries, and eyewitness accounts.