Monocacy National Battlefield

Union and Confederate forces clashed here on July 9, 1864, in the “Battle that Saved Washington.”

In the summer of 1864, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was pinned down in Petersburg, VA by Union forces.  In hopes of relieving pressure by diverting part of the Union army, General Robert E. Lee sent General Jubal Early up the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland.  Early entered Maryland through Washington County and continued east towards Washington, DC.  After demanding ransom from the towns of Hagerstown and Middletown, Early’s forces reached Frederick on July 8.  On July 9, the city of Frederick was also ransomed, and Early moved westward towards the Monocacy River.  He was met there by a force of Union soldiers, led by General Lew Wallace, perhaps half the size of the Confederate army. Wallace, not sure whether Early was aiming for Baltimore or Washington, was forced to guard three miles of the Monocacy River against either outcome. The ensuing battle ended in a Union retreat, but it delayed Early long enough to allow for additional Union forces to arrive to protect Washington.

The park includes several historic residences and other structures, and there are five historic monuments on the battlefield.