| Nearly 40 miles away from the scene
of this battle lies Ellicott City. Residents feared
an attack on their town by Confederate forces because
of the railroad station. Suddenly, Union cavalry bolted
down Main Street and out of the sight of startled onlookers.
Next came a column of Union infantry. Finally, wagons
bearing the dead and dying came rolling down the road.
Union troops had come here because it was the best way
to escape to Baltimore, and also the quickest way to
get the wounded to the hospital. Ordinary people became
heroes as they helped move the wounded into train cars
that kept coming all day to ensure every man recieved
medical attention. Many people expected Confederate
troops to come tearing through the town any minute,
but luckily, that never happened.
After finally forcing Wallace into a
retreat towards Ellicott City, Early began moving
the next day, July 10th. He reached Rockville that
day and the outskirts of Washington on the 11th. However,
he was too late; the VI corps had already arrived
and filled the ring of Forts around Washington. After
a brief skirmish during which Abraham Lincoln came
under fire, Early withdrew into the Shenandoah Valley.
He lost approximately 900 troops in the Monacacy campaign,
and the Union forces lost around 1,200. The battle
later became known as “the Battle that Saved
Washington.” Wallace was initially reprimanded
for not defeating Early at Monacacy Junction but was
eventually recognized as a hero.
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