Existing comment:
The Generals' View:
Early's View:
Before July 8, 1864, Early's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland had been nearly flawless. Union authorities were unaware of his presence. The path to Washington seemed clear.
A sympathetic local resident told Early that only 100-day troops under Wallace might stand in his way. Early intended to move swiftly past them, free Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout in southern Maryland, then turn and attack Washington.
Early's army covered nearly 200 miles in three weeks before reaching Frederick. He called his march "without a parallel in this or any other modern war."
Reality:
All was not as Early thought. B&O Railroad president John Garrett had alerted Federal authorities of Early's advance and asked Union general Lew Wallace to defend Monocacy Junction. More importantly, on the eve of battle, 3,000 battle-hardened veterans of the Army of the Potomac arrived at Monocacy Junction to join Wallace's men. Additional veterans troops were on the way to defend Washington.
Wallace's View:
Unsure of Early's actual goal, Wallace recognized the potential threat Early's army posed to Washington. But with only 5,800 men to stand against 15,000 Confederates, he also knew he stood little chance of defeating Early outright. Instead, he sought to delay Early -- to buy enough time for more Union troops from Petersburg to reach and defend Washington against Early's inevitable advance.
For Wallace, the Battle of Monocacy was a fight not for victory, but for time. Rarely would hours be so precious.
The Generals' Men:
The Battle at Monocacy included both veteran soldiers and raw troops.
The Confederates who fought at Monocacy were battle-hardened soldiers. They'd marched thousands of miles in three years of war. On their battle flags were the names of Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. They traveled light, looked ragged, but fought in a way that provoked admiration even from their enemies.
The Union army at Monocacy included both veterans of the Army of the Potomac and men enlisted for just three months. The veterans were fresh from brutal fighting in Virginia. The 100-day men looked snappier, but had no experience under fire. Both would perform well, although outnumbered nearly 3-1 by the Confederates. |