Battle of Monocacy

Battle of Monocacy
Part of the American Civil War
Destruction of the R.R. bridge, over the Monocacy River near Frederick, Md. Alfred R. Waud, artist
Date July 9, 1864 Location Frederick County, Maryland Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Lew Wallace	Jubal A. Early
Strength
5,800[1]	14,000[2]
Casualties and losses
1,294[1]	700–900[1]

The Battle of Monocacy (also known as Monocacy Junction) was fought on July 9, 1864, about 6 miles (9.7 km) from Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace. The battle was part of Early's raid through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland in an attempt to divert Union forces from their siege of Gen. Robert E. Lee's army at Petersburg, Virginia.^[1]

The battle was the northernmost Confederate victory of the war. Afterward, the Union troops retreated to Baltimore, Maryland, and the Confederates continued toward Washington. But because the battle had delayed Early's march for a day, Union reinforcements had time to get to the Union capital before the Confederates. Early launched an attack on Washington on July 12 at the Battle of Fort Stevens, but the Confederates were unsuccessful and retreated to Virginia.