The Closest the Confederacy Came to the Capitol
The Confederacy’s last real shot at winning came in summer 1864 when everything seemed hopeless. Grant had Lee trapped in Petersburg trenches while Confederate troops starved and ran away daily.
But Lee had one last card to play. He sent General Jubal Early north with 14,000 men to attack Washington itself. Early actually made it to the capital’s doorstep, closer than any rebel force ever got.
Lee Gambled Everything on a Desperate Northern Invasion
By summer 1864, Grant’s forces had trapped Lee’s army in the Petersburg trenches. Union troops had plenty of supplies while Confederate soldiers starved and ran away daily.
Lee made a bold move by sending General Jubal Early with 14,000 men north through the Shenandoah Valley in June 1864.
This risky plan aimed to force Grant to pull troops from Petersburg to protect Washington.
Early needed to destroy the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, free Confederate prisoners, and possibly capture Washington itself.
Outnumbered Union Forces Fled at Lynchburg
Early’s Confederate forces beat Union General David Hunter’s troops at Lynchburg, Virginia on June 17-18, 1864.
Hunter’s smaller army ran into the West Virginia mountains, leaving the entire Shenandoah Valley open.
The path north stood almost empty. Early took this chance, growing his force to nearly 16,000 men and quickly marching north through the valley.
Union leaders stayed confused about Early’s true strength as he moved toward Maryland.
Confederates Streamed Across the Potomac Unopposed
Early’s Army of the Valley crossed the Potomac River at Shepherdstown into Maryland on July 5-6, 1864.
Confederate horsemen had already burned the railroad bridge at Harpers Ferry on June 19, cutting Union communications across the area. Early’s forces moved past the federal troops at Harpers Ferry without facing much resistance.
Railroad president John Garrett frantically reported Confederate movements to Union commanders, but Grant first thought Early had gone back to Petersburg.
One Railroad President Sounded the Alarm
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad president John Garrett warned about Confederate advances on June 29. He worried about the key Monocacy Junction bridge, a vital transport link.
General Lew Wallace, in charge of Baltimore, acted without waiting for orders from his bosses. He sent troops to Monocacy Junction on July 3 to guard the crossing.
Wallace placed his limited forces to defend three key spots: Georgetown Pike to Washington, National Road to Baltimore, and the B&O Railroad bridge.
Makeshift Union Army Faced Veteran Confederate Force
On July 9, 1864, Wallace’s quickly gathered force of 5,800 troops faced Early’s 14,000 battle-tested veterans along the Monocacy River near Frederick.
The Union defenders included untested “hundred days” men, Maryland militia, and Ohio volunteers, along with Ricketts’ veteran VI Corps brigades.
Early had nine artillery batteries with at least 36 guns against Wallace’s mere six pieces. The battle started around 6 AM with fighting near the stone bridge on Baltimore Pike.
Bloody Fighting Bought Crucial Time for Washington
Confederate General John Gordon’s division got around Wallace’s left, forcing Union troops to pull back after fierce fighting across farm fields.
General “Tiger” John McCausland led Confederate cavalry across the Monocacy River to outflank the Union spots from the south.
Gordon lost one-third of his division in the attack, with 700-900 Confederate losses versus 1,294 Union casualties.
Wallace’s forces retreated toward Baltimore in late afternoon, but they had won a full day’s delay of Early’s advance.
Heat Wave and Panic Gripped the Defenseless Capital
After Monocacy, Early’s forces kept moving toward Washington while the capital baked in one of its worst heat waves ever.
The city had gone 47 days without rain and temperatures topped 90°F. Congress quit early and many residents fled the city as rumors spread about the coming Confederate army.
Washington’s defenses lacked veteran troops, who had left to join Grant’s Petersburg campaign. Only 9,600 troops defended the entire capital.
Confederate Troops Stood Within Sight of the White House
Early’s tired troops reached Fort Stevens on July 11, just four miles from the White House.
Fort Stevens was part of a 37-mile defense ring of 68 forts around Washington, built on land taken from free Black landowner Elizabeth Thomas.
Confederate forces tested the fort with small attacks, finding it guarded mostly by sick soldiers and government workers.
Early waited to attack, noticing the fort’s strength and thinking Union help might arrive.
Veteran Troops Arrived Just as Early Prepared His Attack
Grant’s veteran VI Corps under General Horatio Wright reached Washington during the night of July 11-12. The battle-tested troops quickly took spots in the fort line, replacing the thrown-together defenders.
General Alexander McCook led the overall defense with several generals handling different parts of the perimeter.
Wright’s veterans got ready for Early’s expected attack on July 12. The fresh troops changed Washington’s defenses from weak to strong overnight.
A Surgeon Fell as Lincoln Watched the Battle Unfold
President Lincoln visited Fort Stevens on July 12 to watch the fighting between Union defenders and Confederate attackers.
Lincoln stood on the fort’s wall despite warnings about Confederate sharpshooters aiming at that spot. Captain Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. supposedly yelled “Get down, you damn fool! ” at the president.
A Union doctor standing next to the president got shot by Confederate fire. This marked the only time in American history a sitting president came under direct enemy fire during battle.
The Last Confederate Invasion Ended in Retreat
Seeing that Washington now had veteran troops defending it, Early dropped plans to capture the city on July 12.
Confederate forces pulled back through Montgomery County, Maryland, and crossed back into Virginia on July 13. Early’s raid successfully tied down Union forces but failed to ease pressure on Lee at Petersburg.
The withdrawal ended the Confederacy’s final push into the North and last real chance to change the war’s outcome.
Visiting Monocacy National Battlefield
Monocacy National Battlefield in Frederick, Maryland tells the story of Jubal Early’s 1864 Confederate push toward Washington D.C.
The free park has a visitor center open Thursday through Monday from 9am-5pm.
You can take a self-guided four-mile driving tour or have a group of 12 or more, you can book a ranger-led battlefield tour to learn more about this crucial Civil War battle.
Several walking paths let you explore the grounds, including the Worthington Farm Trail with two loop options.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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