The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-11-13
Monocacy Battlefield.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd, Nov. 10, 1908.
MeSsrs. Editors:

to be erected OIL the battlefield of
M0nocacy, some account OF the
circumstances under which that
battle was fought, and the object
sought to he accomplished by
General Wallace in bringing on
the engagement, would seem to
be pertinent, and all the more SO
for the reason that the import
ance Of that battle o the Union
cause, does not seem to he appre.
ciated generally at the present
day..
There has recently come Into
the State Library here a new
book which throws a flood of
light upon the purpose and object
of that battle.
1t was written by the one man
of all others, who knew most
about the engagement from be-
ginning to end, Gen. Lew Wal
lace, Commander IN Chief of the
Uuion forces during the whole
OF the struggle aud for several
days prior thereto.
His account of the battle aud
of the occurrences leading up to
it are most interesting and ill.,
stIuctive, but too long to be re
peated here.
A few extracts therefrom, how
ever, can hardly fail to prove of
interest at this time.
Gen. Wallace says that he rea-
lized early in the day that his
force was wholly inadequate to
cope with that of the Confed-
crates, which was coming down
upon him FROM Frederick, and
the question with him was
whether he should subject the
small army under his command
to the perllS of so doubtful and
perhaps hopeless conflict. He
says that he debated with him
self whether he should send his
men to contend against such
Large odds, or withdraw the m
from their advantageous position
which they held, and retreat
without giving battle.
But when he thought of the
probable purpose of the enemy to
capture the national capital,
when he rememb ered that at the
navy yard there were ships that
they were making aud repairing,
which, with the yard itself;
would be given over To the flames
that III the Treasury Department
there were millions of bonds
printed and other millions signed
and ready for issuance, that there
were store houses in the city
filled with property of all kinds.
medical, ordnance, commissary
and quartermaster, the accumu
lation OF years, without which the
war must halt, if not stop for
good, and when he thought of
the beautiful Capitol ali under
menace-Ot prestige lost, of the
faith OF the people struck dead,
of Louis Napoleon and Gladstone
Fastening 10 recognize the Con
tederacy as a nation. But most
If all when he thought OF s'Pres-
ident Lincoln, cloaked and hood
ed, stealing like malefactor.
from the back door of the White
House. just as some gray CARRIED
Confederate Brigadler burst in
the front door, when he thought
OF all these things and that
W ashlngtan at that time was
almost defenceless. there being
only few Union troops III the
city under General Anger, not
more than enough to keep the
peace OF the city, but that thirty.
six hours ga ned would enable
General Grant to send large
body OF troops from Norfolk, Vir
glula, by transports up the Ches-
apeake Bay and tue Potomac
River, to Washington, before
General Early could, after snch
delay, reach that city, he resolved
to stand his ground with his
small army and give the enemy
battle.
General Wallace goes on then
to tell of the stubborn resistance
made to the attack of the Con
tederate forces under the imme.
date command of General John
B. Gordon.
Owing to the advantageous DO.
sition held by the Union forces
and their desperate resistance.
! the first two Onslaughts of the
Contederates were Iepulsed and
only after the third attack we're
they driven from the field The
battle was fought chiefly on the
two adjoining farms of @. K.
Thomas and JOhu L. Worthing-
ton and on the mill property of
James H. Gambrill. Some severe
skirmlshlng was done farther
North from opposite sides of the
Monocacy river, but the real en-
gagement took place on the farms
mentioned. 1t was a holly con-
tasted and hloodu haI.I