The July 9th, 1864 Battle of Monocacy is one of the most important little-known battles of the Civil War, known as the battle that saved Washington DC. Union General Jubal Early's Confederate troops marched 70 miles due west to Charlottesville, then got on rickety trains and arrived at the Battle of Lynchburg, where Union generals fled. Early then marched on to the Battle of Monocacy, where Union General Lou Wallace, with 1,500 troops, put up a full-day fight against Early's 14,000 troops, but was eventually forced to retreat. The battle had a significant impact on the 1864 presidential election, as it prevented the Confederates from invading Washington DC and potentially harming Lincoln's chances of re-election.
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