The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16


viding for the purchase of the land in the
vicinity of what was once Fort Stevens, in
the suburbs of Washington city, for pub
lie park to commemorate the saving of the
capital in July, 1864 by resisting General
Early's attack at that point. If the dealers
in real estate can sell the land where Fort
Stevens stood to the United States for
park there can be no serious objection;
but if the place where the city of Washing
ton was saved from Confederate capture
and spoliation in July, 1864, is to be marked
by park or monument, history will locate it
where General Grant, both in his report as
lieutenant general and in his memoirs, de-
clares that Washington was saved, namely,
on the Monocacy river. in Maryland, fifty
eight miles from Baltimore and forty-one
miles north-northwest from Washington, a
few miles from Frederick City, where, with
in the space of two miles, converged the
pixies to Washington and Baltimore and
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
The facts are OF interest. particularly to
Indianians. because the officer who held
back Earlys army at Monocacy is an In
diana man-Gen. Lew Wallace. During the
summer of 1864 General Wallace was in
command of a department of which Balti-
more was the headquarters. On July
General Wallace received information that
a body of the enemy was in the Middle
town valley moving easterly. When salts
fled that this report was true General Wal
hot fl,n obi tive nfnf IF
this enemy was either Washington or Bal
timore He at once gathered up his little
army and went by rail to Frederick City.
In this force of scant $500 men there were
few veterans, the larger part being 100
DAYS men. Fortunately, General Grant, at
City Point. saw the danger before any mil
itary man in Washington. including Gen.
HaHeck, had the slightest apprehension of
it, AS early as July 4 General Grant had
withdrawn the Sixth Army Corps, then in
the Army of the Potomac in front of Pc
tersburg from the lines to be sent to the
defense of the capital. AS good fortune
would have it, the third division, in COM
mand of General Ricketts,. was first dis
patched to Baltimore, and the other divi-
sions and the Nineteenth Corps just
irving at City Point from New Orleans,
were sent to the defense of Washington.
AS soon as General Ricketts, arrived in
Baltimore and found that General Wallace
was at Monocacy junction to resist the
advance of the enemy, he pushed forward
to his assistance with two small brigades
numbering $3.50 men. General Ricketts, did
not arrive an hour too soon. Early's army
was there and was marching toward Wash
ington. General Wallace had no idea that
he could defeat Earlys army, which was
at least four times the strength of his
command and all veterans. He knew that
Washington's defenses contained very few
veterans, and that Early would capture the
national capital if he was not held back
until reinforcements arrived from Virginia.
He quickly resolved to resist the march Of
Early with his handful Of men as long as
he could, regardless of consequences. In
this plan the gallant Ricketts, heartily
agreed. So skillfully was the small force
disposed that Early was deceived, and pro-
ceeded as if he were assailing a much larg
err army. When, however, battle was Joined,
the little army of Wallace, particularly
the veterans of the Sixth Corps. fought
with rare courage. But Early was able to
overlap both of Wallace's TANKS by ford
ing the river at points which the latter
had no force TO guard. These splendid vet
Grams held their ground until they were
withdrawn in the afternoon by General
Wallaces order, when nearly surrounded.
OF the 1850 men, 1913 were either killed,
wounded or taken prisoners. The other
troops did not fare so badly, but their
losses were considerable. But this resist
ance had cost Early a days time, and in
that days time the other two divisions of
the Sixth Corps and the Nineteenth Corps
reached the national capital and were in
the defenses north of Washington two or
three hours before Earlys advance ap-
peared.
1t is not the assumption of to-day by
those whose judgment may not be the
best that the national capital was saved
by the fight at Monocacy. but Lieutenant
General Grant gave the credit of the i'm
IOILdll dCulSNSiiSul " 0tuSld- w dlldSS
and his bit of an army. In his report of the
years campaign, General Grant said:
General Wallace, with Ricketts's division
/ of the Sixth Corps and his own command,
/ the latter mostly new and undisciplined
| troops pushed out from Baltimore with
great promptness and met the enemy in
| force on the MonOcacy, near the crossing
/ of the railroad bridge. His force was not
| sufficient to insure success, but he fought
/ the enemy, nevertheless, and although ii
/ resulted in defeat to arms, yet il de-
| tanned the enemy and thereby served to
| enable General Wright to reach Washing
| ton with two divisions of the Sixth Corps
! and the advance of the Nineteenth Corps.
In his Personal Memoirs" page SO4
Vol. p, General Grant speaks at length OF
the action of General Wallace. After al
luding TO the small number of men in Gen
Wallace's command and their rawness
General Grant says: 'But the situation OF
Washington was precarious. and Wallace
moved with commendable promptitude tC
meet the enemy at Monocacy. He could
hardly have expected to defeat him badly
but he hoped to cripple and delay him
until Washington could be put into a state
of preparation for his reception" Speaking
of the arrival of General Ricketts, at Balti
more, after General Wallace had gone tC
Monocacy with his handful OF men, and hi:
following Wallace, General Grant say:
that they met the enemy, and, as might
have been expected. were defeated; bu