The US Civil War 125th Anniversary: The Battle of Monocacy Reenactment Program

Description

The US Civil War 125th Anniversary: The Battle of Monocacy Reenactment Program
44 pages of articles pertaining to the campaign and "The Battle That Saved Washington" and the people who commanded the opposing forces.
The events held for the 125th Anniversary (1986-1990) of the American Civil War often consisted of large scale living history events and reenactments of pivotal battles. The public was invited to witness and immerse themselves in these events and were issued event programs for many of the reenactments. Interest in the Civil War was high in the wake of Ken Burns' The Civil War series and movies like Glory and Gettysburg and resulted in large public attendance at such events.
The historical 1864 Battle of Monocacy
In the summer of 1864, the American Civil War was still a long way from conclusion. Union and Confederate armies were still spread out across the country, with battles and campaigns still being fought.  In the first week of July, Confederates had entered Maryland and caught Union forces largely off guard. As the Federals scrambled to gather a defensive force, Major General Lew Wallace and roughly 3,200 inexperienced troops headed west from Baltimore, MD and took up a position just south of Frederick, MD at Monocacy Junction along the Monocacy River. The Confederates won the Battle of Monocacy, However Lew Wallace was ultimately successful. His efforts had delayed Jubal Early’s advance long enough for additional Union reinforcements to reach Washington D.C. and protect the city. The delaying tactics of Lew Wallace and his men at Monocacy on July 9 made the Battle of Monocacy to be forever known as “The Battle That Saved Washington.”