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

The battle at Monocacy Junction in July, 1864 is not as well known as other engagements during the Civil War. But it may well have been as important, at least, as some better known battles. "Desperate Engagement" describes the context for the battle, its actual occurrence, and then the aftermath and a series of reflections. In short, Jubal Early and the 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia were sent to the Shenandoah, to clear it of Northern troops, as Generals Sigel, Hunter, and Crook had been attacking the area. And, if the opportunity arose, to advance on Washington, D. C. itself, to (perhaps) free Confederate prisoners, to force General U. S. Grant to divert soldiers from his siege in Virginia to relieve pressure on the Capitol, maybe to even occupy parts of the city. This book outlines why Early was given this assignment and how he carried it out. Incompetent generalship by Generals Sigel and Hunter allowed Early to cross the Potomac and head toward Washington in summer, 1864. The threat was real, but the Unions forces in Washington, D. C. were few in number and poor in quality. Many were recovering from wounds suffered on the battlefields of the East; others were brand new troops without any real training; others were simply subprime in one way or another. The center of government was surrounded by powerful forts--but there weren't the troops to make these forts formidable obstacles to the Confederates. General Lew Wallace had pretty much a desk job; he had been shelved as a battlefield commander after Shiloh (and one could argue that his poor response was as much due to Grant's bad staff work as to Wallace's own ineptitude on that occasion). This was long before he penned "Ben-Hur"! Seeing the danger to Washington, D. C., he pulled together a scratch force--nowhere large enough to defeat Early's oncoming troops, but, he hoped, enough to slow the Confederate forces down until Union regulars arrived from Virginia. Indeed, Grant was forwarding the 6th Corps and elements from yet another Corps to relieve the Capitol. The first division to arrive from Virginia, Ricketts' Division of the 6th Corps, was called to Monocacy Junction by Wallace. There, they fought a battle against the Confederate forces, badly outnumbered, until a flanking attack by the southern troops made his position untenable. Wallace's battered forces withdrew, leaving the road open to Washington, DC. However, by some accounts, it took so much time to defeat Wallace's troops that the Union forces of the 6th Corps arrived before Early could take advantage of the defensive weaknesses of the Capitol. There follows an engaging discussion of the differing perspectives by actors and historians about the battle at Monocacy Junction. All in all, a nice book, crisply written, on a battle worth knowing something about.

It's surprising how many people don't know about the vitally important Civil War battles that took place in and around Washington D.C., and how close the Union came to possible defeat, in the summer of 1864. Mr. Leepson provides an excellent summary, and thoughtful insights, regarding what happened (and what could have happened)when the Union capital was in danger of being invaded. Historians need to more fully realize the historical importance of those pivotal July battles. A must read.

This book illuminates a little known, but very important, Civil War battle. Using a wide variety of primary sources, Marc Leepson educates and provides fascinating insights into this brief thirty day period of the Civil War. I greatly enjoyed the very readable book.

Don't miss out on Marc Leepson's "Desperate Engagement." This is a powerful book about the Battle at Monocacy Junction and its curious impact on the better known Battle for Washington. The Battle at Monocacy, fought between Jubal Early and Lew Wallace of Ben Hur fame, took place four miles South of Frederick, Maryland. Early, who was on his way to threaten the Union capital in Washington, D.C., was ordered to engage Wallace at Frederick, diverting Union troops from Lee's advance. Early did not want to fight this battle, but he won it. The controversy was that Jubal Early, after his victory over Wallace, should have advanced toward Washington without delay. Leepson points out that Washington was poorly defended at the time and could have been taken during this crucial window of opportunity. Instead, Early chose to rest the remainder of his army, which was wounded, ill-fed and exhausted from being on the march since June 13th. This allowed Grant some two days to send reinforcements to the capital. When Early did attack, he was defeated. Lincoln, who was visiting Fort Stevens in Washington at the time, became the first and only President to come under fire in active battle. Standing on the parapet of the fort, he was enjoying the spectacle until an officer in charge insisted he take cover. Leepson's track record for capturing history is impeccable ("Flag: an American Biography" ; "Saving Monticello"), and this latest foray will put you right in the middle of one of the strangest conflicts of the Civil War. If you enjoy being a General from the safety of an armchair (like I do), expect to be challenged by some very troubling questions about timing versus the well-being of your troops.

Every time I read about the Civil War, I am amazed that such events, and such confluences of personalities and circumstances could actually have happened. This book is a perfect example. Here is a well written narrative that is fascinating and compelling and just full of those "can you believe that?" type of events. At the start of the book, author Leepson sets the stage well. He describes the polictical, societal and military events that set the stage for June and July of 1864 so that you do not have to be a civil war buff to read and understand, enjoy and learn from this book. The narrative is seasoned with many anecdotes and personal reminiscences, so that we are always aware that the war was fought by real people; it was not just about military positions, battle lines and strategies. We are given ample description also of the character of the principal players, and as events move inexorably forward through the Shenendoah Valley and into Maryland, the book becomes a real page turner. I also appreciated the brief straightforward Epilogue that ties together any loose ends and informs us of the subsequent lives of the people involved. I dont know if truth is really stranges than fiction, but when it is this well written, it is certainly more interesting!