Military
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After skirmishing on July 8 with Confederates west of Frederick, Maryland, Major General Lew Wallace’s 5,800 Union troops, many of them raw and untried, took a stand at the Monocacy River. Wallace carefully chose this critical intersection of the river, road, and railroad to prevent Jubal A. Early’s 15,000 to 16,000 Confederates from attacking Washington. Wallace positioned Brigadier General James B. Ricketts’ veteran troops on the river’s south bank. He sent 300 skirmishers to the north bank and a strong contingent to protect the road to Baltimore, his retreat route. Wallace later recalled that all the gateways of the Shenandoah Valley, its roads, passes, and gaps, were standing wide open, with Washington exposed and inviting attack, so he lost no time in picketing and placing strong guards over the bridges, especially the wooden one.
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Ballenger Creek, Maryland · United States
