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Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed the Course of American History
Marc Leepson, critically acclaimed author of An American Biography , examines the Battle of Monocacy --- a crucial and singular moment in the Civil War --- with his trademark historical detail and enlivening voice
The Battle of Monocacy, which took place four miles south of Frederick, Maryland on a blisteringly hot day in 1864, was a full-field engagement between some 12,000 battle-hardened Confederate troops led by the controversial Jubal Anderson Early, and some 5,800 Union troops, many of them untested in battle, under the mercurial Lew Wallace. When the fighting ended, Early had routed Wallace in the northernmost Confederate victory of the war.
Two days later, on another brutally hot afternoon, the foul-mouthed, hard-drinking Early sat astride his horse outside the gates of Fort Stevens in the upper northwestern fringe of Washington, D.C. He was about to make one of the war's most fateful, portentous whether or not to order his men to invade the nation's capital.
Once manned by tens of thousands of experienced troops, Washington's ring of forts and fortifications that day were in the hands of a ragtag collection of walking wounded Union soldiers, the Veteran Reserve Corps, along with what were known as hundred days' men---raw recruits who had joined the Union Army to serve as temporary, rear-echelon troops. It was with great shock, then, that the city received news of the impending rebel attack. With near panic filling the streets, Union leaders scrambled to coordinate a force of volunteers.
But Early did not pull the trigger. With his men exhausted after the fight at Monocacy and the ensuing march, Early paused before attacking the feebly manned Fort Stevens, giving Union General Ulysses Grant just enough time to send thousands of veteran troops up from Richmond. In the battle that followed, Abraham Lincoln became the only sitting president in American history to come so close to military action that he was fired upon by the enemy.
Historian Marc Leepson shows that had Early arrived in Washington one day earlier, the ensuing havoc easily could have brought about a different conclusion to the war. He uses a vast amount of primary material, including memoirs, official records, newspaper accounts, diary entries and eyewitness reports in a reader-friendly and engaging description of the events surrounding what became known as "the Battle That Saved Washington."
The Battle of Monocacy, which took place four miles south of Frederick, Maryland on a blisteringly hot day in 1864, was a full-field engagement between some 12,000 battle-hardened Confederate troops led by the controversial Jubal Anderson Early, and some 5,800 Union troops, many of them untested in battle, under the mercurial Lew Wallace. When the fighting ended, Early had routed Wallace in the northernmost Confederate victory of the war.
Two days later, on another brutally hot afternoon, the foul-mouthed, hard-drinking Early sat astride his horse outside the gates of Fort Stevens in the upper northwestern fringe of Washington, D.C. He was about to make one of the war's most fateful, portentous whether or not to order his men to invade the nation's capital.
Once manned by tens of thousands of experienced troops, Washington's ring of forts and fortifications that day were in the hands of a ragtag collection of walking wounded Union soldiers, the Veteran Reserve Corps, along with what were known as hundred days' men---raw recruits who had joined the Union Army to serve as temporary, rear-echelon troops. It was with great shock, then, that the city received news of the impending rebel attack. With near panic filling the streets, Union leaders scrambled to coordinate a force of volunteers.
But Early did not pull the trigger. With his men exhausted after the fight at Monocacy and the ensuing march, Early paused before attacking the feebly manned Fort Stevens, giving Union General Ulysses Grant just enough time to send thousands of veteran troops up from Richmond. In the battle that followed, Abraham Lincoln became the only sitting president in American history to come so close to military action that he was fired upon by the enemy.
Historian Marc Leepson shows that had Early arrived in Washington one day earlier, the ensuing havoc easily could have brought about a different conclusion to the war. He uses a vast amount of primary material, including memoirs, official records, newspaper accounts, diary entries and eyewitness reports in a reader-friendly and engaging description of the events surrounding what became known as "the Battle That Saved Washington."
303 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2007
26 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Marc Leepson
48 books27 followersHistorian and journalist Marc Leepson is the author of nine books, including Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler (Stackpole, 2017); What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life (Palgrave, 2014); Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General, a concise biography of the Marquis de Lafayette (Palgrave, 2011); Desperate Engagement, the story of the Civil War Battle of Monocacy (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007); Flag: An American Biography, a history of the American flag from the beginnings to today (Thomas Dunne, 2005); and Saving Monticello, the first complete history of Thomas Jefferson's House (Free Press, 2001, University of Virginia Press, 2003, paperback).
A former staff writer for Congressional Quarterly, Marc Leepson is the arts editor, senior writer, and columnist for The VVA Veteran, the magazine published by Vietnam Veterans of America.
He has written about the Vietnam War and Vietnam veterans and other topics for many other newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post, New York Times, New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Newsday, the Arizona Republic, Smithsonian, World War II, Vietnam, Military History and Preservation Magazines, Civil War Times, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Encyclopedia Americana, and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.
He has been a guest on many television and radio news programs, including All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, On the Media, CBS This Morning Saturday, History Detectives, The Diane Rehm Show,Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CBC (Canada), the BBC News Hour, and Irish Radio. And he has given talks at many colleges and universities, including the University of Maryland, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Miami, Appalachian State University, the College of Southern Maryland and Georgetown University.
He tought U.S. history at Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton, Virginia from 2008-2015. He graduated from George Washington University in 1967. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years, including a year in the Vietnam War. After his military service, he earned an MA in history from GWU in 1971. He lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with his wife. They have two adult children.
A former staff writer for Congressional Quarterly, Marc Leepson is the arts editor, senior writer, and columnist for The VVA Veteran, the magazine published by Vietnam Veterans of America.
He has written about the Vietnam War and Vietnam veterans and other topics for many other newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post, New York Times, New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Newsday, the Arizona Republic, Smithsonian, World War II, Vietnam, Military History and Preservation Magazines, Civil War Times, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Encyclopedia Americana, and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.
He has been a guest on many television and radio news programs, including All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, On the Media, CBS This Morning Saturday, History Detectives, The Diane Rehm Show,Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CBC (Canada), the BBC News Hour, and Irish Radio. And he has given talks at many colleges and universities, including the University of Maryland, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Miami, Appalachian State University, the College of Southern Maryland and Georgetown University.
He tought U.S. history at Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton, Virginia from 2008-2015. He graduated from George Washington University in 1967. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years, including a year in the Vietnam War. After his military service, he earned an MA in history from GWU in 1971. He lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with his wife. They have two adult children.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 14, 2009
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.
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.
June 21, 2017
This book has some flaws, but overall its pretty good. Generally, it gets better as it goes along.
Flaws
At the start, the author spends the first two chapters detailing events throughout the first three years of the war, which is rather excessive, especially for people who know a fair amount of the Civil War. Even for people with less knowledge, it seems a bit much. Furthermore, throughout the first several chapters there are several amateurish historical errors, including getting the chronological order of battles wrong, and attributing actions of one person to another. Furthermore, for every character he introduces, he includes about two paragraphs about their early life. Finally, there are issues with the pictures and maps. There are many pictures of very well known people, like Edwin Stanton, that seem unnecessary. Finally, the maps need some work. There isn't an overall map of the campaign until about 2/3 of the way through the book and there is only one, poorly scaled and detailed map of the battle of Monocacy itself. It all has the feel of a writer padding his page count. Finally, his research, though obvious, isn't very well documented within the book.
Positives
Overall, it is clear that he has done a great deal of research, drawing upon contemporary sources and post-war memoirs. He is clear in pointing out that many of the memoirs were published many years after the war and are therefore suspect. His narrative style also blends together the source material and his own writing. The book gets pretty solid in its final few chapters when he assesses several claims about the Battle of Monocacy - that it saved Washington from capture - and Early's invasion of the north - that it prolonged the war.
Flaws
At the start, the author spends the first two chapters detailing events throughout the first three years of the war, which is rather excessive, especially for people who know a fair amount of the Civil War. Even for people with less knowledge, it seems a bit much. Furthermore, throughout the first several chapters there are several amateurish historical errors, including getting the chronological order of battles wrong, and attributing actions of one person to another. Furthermore, for every character he introduces, he includes about two paragraphs about their early life. Finally, there are issues with the pictures and maps. There are many pictures of very well known people, like Edwin Stanton, that seem unnecessary. Finally, the maps need some work. There isn't an overall map of the campaign until about 2/3 of the way through the book and there is only one, poorly scaled and detailed map of the battle of Monocacy itself. It all has the feel of a writer padding his page count. Finally, his research, though obvious, isn't very well documented within the book.
Positives
Overall, it is clear that he has done a great deal of research, drawing upon contemporary sources and post-war memoirs. He is clear in pointing out that many of the memoirs were published many years after the war and are therefore suspect. His narrative style also blends together the source material and his own writing. The book gets pretty solid in its final few chapters when he assesses several claims about the Battle of Monocacy - that it saved Washington from capture - and Early's invasion of the north - that it prolonged the war.
February 13, 2025
A very readable short history of one of the war's most overlooked battles, this one was a pleasure to read. The author tells the story of a Confederate invasion nearly to the streets of Washington. The fact that the rebels got this close to the nation's capitol this late in the war is itself amazing. Although the raid was considered a failure, the longer term consequences of the close call were long felt in the overall war effort. As I said, a very good effort and well worth your consideration.
August 19, 2014
Ran across the author on an old CSPAN episode and had to read this book. It didn't disappoint. Growing up in DC I was aware of the forts encircling DC but not too familiar with the battle or how close it was to a catastrophe for the Union. The battlefield wasn't even a site to visit when I was growing up like Gettysburg or Antietam. I'd always been amazed at how close DC was to the Confederacy yet it had not been raided. Jubal Early came close in July, 1964. So close it's scary. He basically ran out of gas. His men were exhausted from the heat and their pace. Also the forts were formidable in their design and fields of fire. Lew Wallace, soon to be author of Ben Hur and future governor of New Mexico, slowed Early's force down at the Monocacy River east of Frederick. He bought a day for Grant to shift forces from Richmond to DC. Lincoln actually visited the front lines and drew sniper fire at Fort Stevens near 16th St. Wallace was relieved of command for his failure to stop Early but later had it restored. Leepson goes into all the hindsight critics and their opinions on the consequences of Early's decision to not attack the forts. Early was aggressive and a formidable commander. I think he made the right call by withdrawing and not entering the capital. A well told account. Could have had better maps and better placement of the few maps.
December 2, 2007
a must read for civil war buffs. Contains an interesting piece of history regarding President Lincoln.
September 14, 2009
my great great grandfather's diary (kept throughout the civil war) was used as a reference - a REALLY interesting book especially when being from the DC area!
June 30, 2012
I have grown up in northern Virginia, where battlegrounds abound and reenactments are not uncommon. So it was interesting to read a book specifically about my area and the battles and skirmishes that happened as the Confederates made an attempt to distract Grant from his siege of Richmond in 1964.
Robert E Lee ordered General Early to take back control of the Shenandoah Valley and threaten Washington. But a battle in Monocacy, Maryland created complications for the southern raid into the north.
Very well informed, the book made me spout off tons of "did you know?" facts to friends and Facebook. At some points, I did get confused, but that probably has more to do with me than the book. It was an interesting and enlightening read that people interested in history or in this area would enjoy.
Robert E Lee ordered General Early to take back control of the Shenandoah Valley and threaten Washington. But a battle in Monocacy, Maryland created complications for the southern raid into the north.
Very well informed, the book made me spout off tons of "did you know?" facts to friends and Facebook. At some points, I did get confused, but that probably has more to do with me than the book. It was an interesting and enlightening read that people interested in history or in this area would enjoy.
March 14, 2018
It’s really more a history of Jubal Early’s June-July 1864 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley, parts of Maryland and to the outskirts of Washington, D.C., than a book just about the Battle of Monocacy, which only covers a few chapters in the book. That said, overall, it was a great read of Early’s campaign, the military figures involved and an overall assessment of the successes and failures of both Confederate and Union outcomes. (However, there are some annoying proofreading errors in the book and some obvious historical mistakes, such as stating the Battle of Gettysburg started on July 2, 1863.)
February 19, 2009
Was in the midst of the read when, while channel surfing, I caught the author on C-SPAN giving a tour of DC as he unfolded the story in the book. Made the book memorable for me!
October 10, 2011
Fascinating reading ... however, I want to reread it and write notes as I'm going along. There are other events mentioned in it that I'd like to read also.
Read
December 5, 2012Very good bit of history not normally discussed in the development of DC.
October 16, 2024
Desperate Engagement by Marc Leepson
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On July 9th, 1864, the Battle of Monocacy took place near Frederick, Maryland as Confederate General Jubal Early and his 15,000 hardened veterans marched toward Washington DC in the last invasion of the north during the civil war. Union General Lew Wallace and about 6,600 federal troops bravely stood their ground at Monocacy for over 8 hours through intense heat and exhaustion until retreating back to Washington, providing vital hours of delay for US Grant to send reinforcements from the 6th and 19th corps for the defense of Washington. The Battle of Monocacy would go on to be known as the battle that saved Washington, with Jubal Early’s troops exhausted and facing the significant reinforcements from Grant’s army, Early decided not to attempt an invasion of Washington and turned back to the Shenandoah valley. This averted disaster for the union cause, because if Washington was overtaken by the rebels so late in the war and near the 1864 presidential election then Abraham Lincoln probably would not have been re-elected or worse could have been captured. With the rebels at the gates of Fort Stevens on the outskirts of Washington, Lincoln would make history by visiting the front lines and putting himself in harms way becoming the only president in our History to be under fire from the enemy during a time of war. During the civil war there would be three northern invasions by the rebels culminating in three major battles; Antietam, Gettysburg and Monocacy. All are equally important turning points in the war for different reasons and I’m glad this book shines a light on the least known of those three battles: Monocacy. A well written and enjoyable book , would highly recommend.
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@monocacynps
#civilwar #civilwarhistory #read #bookstagram #readmorebooks #readersofinstagram #bookreview #union #federals #washingtondc #monocacy #maryland #confederate #lewwallace #generals #grant #ushistory
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.
On July 9th, 1864, the Battle of Monocacy took place near Frederick, Maryland as Confederate General Jubal Early and his 15,000 hardened veterans marched toward Washington DC in the last invasion of the north during the civil war. Union General Lew Wallace and about 6,600 federal troops bravely stood their ground at Monocacy for over 8 hours through intense heat and exhaustion until retreating back to Washington, providing vital hours of delay for US Grant to send reinforcements from the 6th and 19th corps for the defense of Washington. The Battle of Monocacy would go on to be known as the battle that saved Washington, with Jubal Early’s troops exhausted and facing the significant reinforcements from Grant’s army, Early decided not to attempt an invasion of Washington and turned back to the Shenandoah valley. This averted disaster for the union cause, because if Washington was overtaken by the rebels so late in the war and near the 1864 presidential election then Abraham Lincoln probably would not have been re-elected or worse could have been captured. With the rebels at the gates of Fort Stevens on the outskirts of Washington, Lincoln would make history by visiting the front lines and putting himself in harms way becoming the only president in our History to be under fire from the enemy during a time of war. During the civil war there would be three northern invasions by the rebels culminating in three major battles; Antietam, Gettysburg and Monocacy. All are equally important turning points in the war for different reasons and I’m glad this book shines a light on the least known of those three battles: Monocacy. A well written and enjoyable book , would highly recommend.
.
.
@monocacynps
#civilwar #civilwarhistory #read #bookstagram #readmorebooks #readersofinstagram #bookreview #union #federals #washingtondc #monocacy #maryland #confederate #lewwallace #generals #grant #ushistory
September 30, 2019
I started reading this book with very little knowledge of the battle of Monocacy except for the knowledge that some of my ancestors were involved in the action. I had driven up I-81 and had seen signs directing passersby to the battlefield but I have never stopped and until I read this book I wasn't really inclined to do so. After reading this book however Monocacy is now high on my own private bucket list.
Marc Leepson has done a remarkable job of researching this book and he also has a lot of talent as a writer. The book flows smoothly and never gets so bogged down in details that only the most knowledgeable student of the Civil War could follow the story. The necessary details are there but the minutia is left out and that is a skill that several historians need to learn. The only quarrel that I have with the author's writing style is his use of the term CSA instead of Confederate such as "CSA General Jubal Early" or "CSA troops." The use of this term in this way may well be grammatically correct but it doesn't seem to flow correctly and by the middle of the book it was beginning to grate on my nerves. Some readers have a problem with "what ifs" and may be turned off by the time that the author takes to speculate on what might have happened if Early had taken Washington but as for me I rather enjoyed his small bit of speculation. It is after all, pretty hard to understand the motivations for an action if you don't speculate on what possible consequences the actors were facing.
Marc Leepson has done a remarkable job of researching this book and he also has a lot of talent as a writer. The book flows smoothly and never gets so bogged down in details that only the most knowledgeable student of the Civil War could follow the story. The necessary details are there but the minutia is left out and that is a skill that several historians need to learn. The only quarrel that I have with the author's writing style is his use of the term CSA instead of Confederate such as "CSA General Jubal Early" or "CSA troops." The use of this term in this way may well be grammatically correct but it doesn't seem to flow correctly and by the middle of the book it was beginning to grate on my nerves. Some readers have a problem with "what ifs" and may be turned off by the time that the author takes to speculate on what might have happened if Early had taken Washington but as for me I rather enjoyed his small bit of speculation. It is after all, pretty hard to understand the motivations for an action if you don't speculate on what possible consequences the actors were facing.
February 25, 2025
Here's my fantasy: a publisher contacts me and says, "John, we've got this book we really like, and we've polished it up to the best of our ability. Please take a look at it and tell us what it needs before we go to print." Here we have the makings of a great book. The author has obviously done his research. His writing style is engaging; he makes good use of the source material. He summarizes well; he places the battle within the larger context of the war. But this book screams for more maps! After discussions of several battles, you finally get a single, tiny map of the Battle of Monocacy. Then you get a little map of Early's campaign, and a little map of the fortifications around D.C. Could you not have sprung for a half dozen or so full-page maps? Legible maps are essential in truly understanding the terrain and the troop movements, and their omission is a glaring oversight. Apart from that, I spotted some errors that easily should've been caught in editing, and there was some padding, with unnecessary biographical information on a number of figures who were tangential to the story. Overall, I liked this book and could easily see it as a 4-star book, if only a little more thought had gone into the editing.
November 13, 2016
A decent book on Early's Maryland Campaign. It does a good job of telling the story of the Battle of Monocacy, in which Lew Wallace uses a quickly thrown together group of Union troops to delay Early. This delay probably kept the Confederate forces from getting into Washington, DC. The Battle of Fort Stevens is also well-covered in this book. There are a couple of small editing errors, but overall the book is a good read.
August 7, 2025
Starts off a little slow, but picks up once it places you in the moment of the threatened invasion of DC.
Really liked how the author highlighted all the random generals and politicians and their fussiness as Early approaches. Inspired me to dive deeper into the later campaigns in the Shenandoah and how they influenced the war.
Really liked how the author highlighted all the random generals and politicians and their fussiness as Early approaches. Inspired me to dive deeper into the later campaigns in the Shenandoah and how they influenced the war.
December 4, 2018
A good description of a little known battle of the Civil War. Lots of information about the participants and lots of quotes from primary sources. The only problem that I had was that the actual battle and possibilities or alternate outcomes were lost in all the quotes of minor characters.
March 7, 2025
Informative book about the Battle of Monocacy. The only thing I wish is that there were more battle maps included.
August 15, 2022
A lot happened between July 9th and the 12th in 1864. Marc Leepson has made this short period of the Civil War the focus of his book Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington D. C., and Changed American History.
In the end, the battle changes little other than perhaps delaying the end of the war. General Grant continued his stranglehold on the Confederate Army surrounding Richmond until Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Nonetheless, if the Hail Mary pass had been completed and General Jubal Early had sacked Washington, we might be all speaking with a Southern accent.
It was close. Heart-stopping close.
The risky moves and countermoves, potential payoff, and unbridled heroism on both sides should have made this an exciting book. The Battle of Monocacy and attempted siege are nicely covered in about four or five chapters with the remaining chapters filled mostly with letters and memoirs of the participants, asides, or research factoids. Civil War buffs should find even the trivia interesting, but a casual reader might view much of this text as fill.
In the end, the battle changes little other than perhaps delaying the end of the war. General Grant continued his stranglehold on the Confederate Army surrounding Richmond until Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Nonetheless, if the Hail Mary pass had been completed and General Jubal Early had sacked Washington, we might be all speaking with a Southern accent.
It was close. Heart-stopping close.
The risky moves and countermoves, potential payoff, and unbridled heroism on both sides should have made this an exciting book. The Battle of Monocacy and attempted siege are nicely covered in about four or five chapters with the remaining chapters filled mostly with letters and memoirs of the participants, asides, or research factoids. Civil War buffs should find even the trivia interesting, but a casual reader might view much of this text as fill.
March 9, 2015
Many times during the great skirmish commonly known as the American Civil War was the outcome decided by lack of follow-through. More than one general used the time-worn excuse that his men were just too tired.
General Jubal Early, more assertive than most Southern field commanders, used this excuse twice, both of them decisive. This entertaining account by Marc Leepson details the more recent incompletion at a location within 35 miles of Washington, DC., a place called Monocacy Junction during the summer of 1864, where Early battled the Union forces under the leadership of the more familiar Lew Wallace.
The resilient Wallace, who battled the superior army of Early for several hours, slowly realized he had to capitulate to save his small band of irregulars. Early failed to pursue, thus jeopardizing his ultimate goal of dealing a severe blow to the Northern capital, and negating his chances of capturing Lincoln.
But the purpose was served, Early later asserted, by forcing the massive army of General Grant in Richmond to divide in coming to the defense of Washington, DC, thereby extending the South's chances of survival. Some say his tactics only prolonged the final agony.
The first time Jubal Early used this excuse was during the first day at Gettysburg, where he failed to take advantage of Union chaos by neglecting to take Culp's Hill. So what if his army had just marched 30 miles from Harrisburg?
Civil War buffs, this is a must read for those of us who wish to complete our perspective of the finer nuances of the War for Southern Independence.
General Jubal Early, more assertive than most Southern field commanders, used this excuse twice, both of them decisive. This entertaining account by Marc Leepson details the more recent incompletion at a location within 35 miles of Washington, DC., a place called Monocacy Junction during the summer of 1864, where Early battled the Union forces under the leadership of the more familiar Lew Wallace.
The resilient Wallace, who battled the superior army of Early for several hours, slowly realized he had to capitulate to save his small band of irregulars. Early failed to pursue, thus jeopardizing his ultimate goal of dealing a severe blow to the Northern capital, and negating his chances of capturing Lincoln.
But the purpose was served, Early later asserted, by forcing the massive army of General Grant in Richmond to divide in coming to the defense of Washington, DC, thereby extending the South's chances of survival. Some say his tactics only prolonged the final agony.
The first time Jubal Early used this excuse was during the first day at Gettysburg, where he failed to take advantage of Union chaos by neglecting to take Culp's Hill. So what if his army had just marched 30 miles from Harrisburg?
Civil War buffs, this is a must read for those of us who wish to complete our perspective of the finer nuances of the War for Southern Independence.
May 25, 2015
I tried to like this book, but the editorial gaffs ... uggh. An example, "... each passing hour was pivotal in the race to bring Grant's troops to Richmond to defend Washington." (Pg 107). The author frequently uses the same adjective several times in a paragraph. An example, "... that move would provide Wallace with desperately needed information ... It would also provide Wallace with desperately needed experienced troops..." (pg 85).
Quotes are used to excess as well. It's one thing to have footnotes, quite another to have dozens of quotation marks per page which I found very jarring. The author seems to take the published statements of some sources, like Union commander Lew Wallace, as gospel while deriding the accuracy of other sources, such as confederate commander Jubal Early. I had hoped for a more balanced presentation. And the hyperbole ... I'm sorry, I'm not convinced that a raid on Washington DC in the summer of 1864 would have brought the southern confederacy recognition or assistance from England let alone France. France? Intervening on the side of the confederacy? After the Emancipation Proclamation?!
I was looking for decent coverage of a remarkably obscure battle. I was disappointed.
Quotes are used to excess as well. It's one thing to have footnotes, quite another to have dozens of quotation marks per page which I found very jarring. The author seems to take the published statements of some sources, like Union commander Lew Wallace, as gospel while deriding the accuracy of other sources, such as confederate commander Jubal Early. I had hoped for a more balanced presentation. And the hyperbole ... I'm sorry, I'm not convinced that a raid on Washington DC in the summer of 1864 would have brought the southern confederacy recognition or assistance from England let alone France. France? Intervening on the side of the confederacy? After the Emancipation Proclamation?!
I was looking for decent coverage of a remarkably obscure battle. I was disappointed.
April 24, 2014
Desperate Engagement was a good book and is worth reading. I struggled between a 3 vs. 4 star – simply because (although the story is little told and worth learning about) there is a feeling that it begins with “strength” but leaves (or ends) more with a whimper. Much of the compelling portions of the book deal with the lead up and certainly D.C. response to what may occur. I’m not certain I saw this as some overtly “desperate” or amazingly decisive battle. There is probably more engrained in the politics among military leaders and tactical choices that impacted how things played out. Also an interest portion of tale regarding Abraham Lincoln. Overall – you most likely will enjoy the book for what it is.
July 17, 2016
Solid 3.5 Stars. Typical approach of a historian taking a relatively obscure event and trying to show it's importance. The focus on Lew Wallace is what originally drew me to the book. Confederate General Jubal Early threatened Washington, DC late in the war. A stand by General Lew Wallace bought enough time to transfer to bring up reinforcements. The author struggles a bit when it comes to defending his main argument as he gets too wishy-washy at the end. Did Wallace save DC or not? That is up to you I guess.
October 2, 2021
Not too bad of a book with covering Early's raid, but it's not as detailed as B.F. Cooling's books on the campaign. There are small errors scattered throughout the book; for example, Lew Wallace's command was referred to a few times as the "Middle Atlantic Department" and "Eighth Army". The author also makes several statements without explaining how he reached that conclusion; for example, he called Early's accusation that Mosby didn't support the main Confederate forces "blatantly untrue", which contradicts what I've read in Mr. Cooling's books.
May 4, 2012
I did not like the writing style.
April 6, 2014
This is a good, well researched and readable account of a minor campaign that may have lengthened the Civil War in itself and if successful given the war a new direction.
February 18, 2015
Great book about a little known battle of the American Civil War. I have visited several historic sites mentioned in this story as a result of this well written Book.
July 21, 2016
I love reading a book alongside a map of a place over which I just hiked.
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