Monocacy National Battlefield

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The Civil War Battle of Monocacy, 9 July 1864, took place just east of Frederick, Maryland. The battle focused on preventing Confederate forces from marching on Washington, DC. Confederates under Jubal Early and John Breckenridge invaded Maryland from Virginia at the beginning of July 1864. Union forces under Lew Wallace were dispatched from Baltimore to head them off. (After the war, Lew Wallace would author the novel Ben-Hur.) The two forces met at Frederick Junction, a strategic point where both the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Georgetown Pike (Rockville Pike) highway crossed the Monocacy River. Ultimately Union forces retreated, allowing the Confederates to move against Washington, DC. Nevertheless, the engagement delayed the Confederates and provided time for Union reinforcements to be deployed to Washington. The Confederates were ultimately stopped at the Battle of Fort Stevens, 11-12 July 1864. (See my Fort Stevens Sesquicentennial blog entry.)

The Monocacy National Battlefield park is set in open country and still gives a feel for the terrain of the battle. There is a visitor center, but it was closed due to Covid. However, the battlefield park is spread over a wide area and is best visited via the driving tour. There are five stops, all with preserved structures and many interpretive markers.

Stop 1 is the Best Farm. The Main House, a secondary house and a stone barn are restored period structures present at this site. The property still retains the character of a farm and one drives though cornfields to approach it. Confederate artillery were positioned at the farm and began the battle by opening fire on Union positions across the river at Gambrill's Mill. The farm itself has quite a background story. The farm was founded in 1795-1798 by Victoire Vincendière. The Vincendière family came to the United States from Haiti in 1793 to escape the Haitian revolution. They had been French planters in Haiti (then known as Saint-Domingue). After acquiring 748 acres (303 ha) of farmland in Frederick County, Maryland, the Vincendière set about to create a Haitian style plantation named L'Hermitage. They brought twelve slaves with them from Haiti. By 1800, 90 enslaved persons were held on the property, one of the largest such holdings in Maryland. L'Hermitage was known at the time for the brutality of its treatment of its slave population. The existing house, secondary house and stone barn all date from this period. The Vincendières sold out in 1827, but slavery continued to exist at the farm. David Best, who farmed the property from 1843 held six enslaved persons in 1860. (Slavery was abolished in Maryland in November 1864.)

Stop 2 is the New Jersey Monument near Frederick Junction. The stop was closed at the time of our visit due to road construction. (The 14th New Jersey Regiment had guarded Frederick Junction beginning in 1862.)

Stop 3 is the Worthington Farm on the other side of the Monocacy River. Confederate troops crossed the river from the Best Farm via a ford leading to the Worthington Farm. From the farm, the Confederates initiated three advances toward the Union line positioned at the neighboring Thomas Farm. During the battle John Worthington and his family took refuge in the cellar of their house. The Worthington House had been built in 1851 and has been restored. The Worthington family continued to farm the land after the Civil War.

Stop 4 is the Thomas Farm. Christian K. Thomas purchased the Araby Farm in 1860. When the Civil War began, the Thomas family found itself at a strategic point between Baltimore and Pennsylvania. Union troops were stationed at Frederick Junction after the Battle of Antietam in 1862. The Thomas Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting during the Battle of Monocacy. Caught between Union and Confederate lines, the house and outbuildings were captured and recaptured by both armies several times during the day. Confederate artillery at the nearby Worthington Farm caused severe damage to the house while attempting to dislodge Union sharpshooters. The Thomas family took refuge in the cellar of the house during the battle.

Between the Thomas Farm and Gambrill's Mill are the Pennsylvania and Vermont Monuments. They were placed on Georgetown Pike (now Araby Church Road) to commemorate the actions of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiments and the Tenth Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment. These Union troops held positions along Georgetown Pike.

Stop 5 is Gambrill's Mill (also known as Araby Mil) at the Monocacy River. During the battle, Union troops were positioned in battle lines in the yard of the mill. The mill was set up as a field hospital. From the scenic trail at this stop one can view both the railway bridge across the Monocacy to the right and the highway bridge to the right. The modern highway bridge is in the approximate location of the covered bridge burned during the battle to prevent Confederates crossing the river. The steel railway bridge is built on the stone piers of the bridge destroyed during the battle. Gambrill Mill, built in 1830, has been repurposed as park offices.

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Photos

Monocacy National Battlefield
Monocacy National Battlefield entrance.
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Monocacy National Battlefield
Monocacy National Battlefield.
View across Urbana Pike towards the Best Farm on the West bank of the Monocacy River. Confederates occupied this position facing the Union Army across the river. The Best Farm, or Hermitage, is located at the northwest side of the battlefield. Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864.
Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
"The northern boundary of Monocacy National Military Park, established in 1934, is at 1.1 m. On July 7, 1864 General Lew Wallace, with 2,700 men under General E.B. Tyler, took up a position at Monocacy Junction, planning to check the advance of General Jubal Early and his 15,000 Confederate troops. On July 8 Wallace was joined by 3,350 men from General Rickett's division. The bloody battle fought the next day ended in a decisive Union defeat but the delay it caused Early probably prevented the Capital from falling into the hands of the Confederates. The Federal casualties were 1,880, the Confederates lost between 600 and 700".--WPA Maryland Guide 1940.
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Map of the Monocacy Battlefield
Interpretive marker with a map of the Monocacy Battlefield.
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Best House
Best House (1790/1870). Built as part of L'Hermitage.
The main house of the Hermitage is a multi-part, L shaped stone, brick, log and frame building. The stone and brick portions are stuccoed and the log and frame sections are covered with various wood sidings, lapped or German. Stucco has been applied to the house at least since 1835, when the tax assessment of that year describes the house as roughcast. The current stuccoed surface dates from the mid 20th century. The front or east elevation of the house has five bays with a central entrance. An unusual feature of the house is the chimney placement. For the south section, the chimney is centered in the west elevation, rising along the middle of the back wall. For the north portion, the chimney extends from the roof ridge, placed centrally in the width of the span.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield. National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 1 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Best House
Best House (1790/1870). Built as part of L'Hermitage.
The main house of the Hermitage is a multi-part, L shaped stone, brick, log and frame building. The stone and brick portions are stuccoed and the log and frame sections are covered with various wood sidings, lapped or German. Stucco has been applied to the house at least since 1835, when the tax assessment of that year describes the house as roughcast. The current stuccoed surface dates from the mid 20th century. The front or east elevation of the house has five bays with a central entrance. An unusual feature of the house is the chimney placement. For the south section, the chimney is centered in the west elevation, rising along the middle of the back wall. For the north portion, the chimney extends from the roof ridge, placed centrally in the width of the span.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 1 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Best Farm (L'Hermitage) Secondary House
Secondary House, a 1790s dwelling from L'Hermitage. In 1798 it was noted as the residence of Jean Payen de Boisneuf, a distant relative of the Vincendière family who had come with them from Saint-Domingue (Haiti). The two-room house was built of local limestone laid in neat flat courses. There must have been some sort of porch or stair system to provide access to the two west side entrances.
The Best Farm, or Hermitage, is located at the northwest side of the Monocacy battlefield. The Best Farm comprises the southern 274 acres of what was originally a 748-acre plantation known as L'Hermitage, and was home to Victoire Vincendière (1776-1854). The Vincendières are believed to have been former landowners from Saint-Domingue (Haiti) who had fled the Haitian Revolution, assembling L'Hermitage between 1793 and 1798. By 1800 there were ninety slaves on the property, the second largest number in Frederick County, and one of the largest in Maryland.
The Vincendieres sold the farm in 1827, and after several transfers of ownership it was acquired by Charles E. Trail in 1852 who operated it as a tenant farm. Confederate armies camped at the Best Farm throughout the Civil War. On September 13, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's lost order No. 191 (which outlined his army's movements) was found on the Best Farm by soldiers from the 27th Indiana. In 1864, John T. Best took over operation of the farm from his father David. (David held six enslaved persons in 1860). During the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, Confederate artillery set up on his farm and sharpshooters took positions in the barn. They fired at Union troops guarding the covered bridge over the Monocacy River on the Georgetown Pike. The Union returned fire, however, setting the Best's barn ablaze and destroying the grain, hay, tools, and farming implements kept there.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield. National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 1 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.

Best Farm (L'Hermitage) Secondary House
Secondary House, a 1790s dwelling from L'Hermitage. In 1798 it was noted as the residence of Jean Payen de Boisneuf, a distant relative of the Vincendière family who had come with them from Saint-Domingue (Haiti). The two-room house was built of local limestone laid in neat flat courses. There must have been some sort of porch or stair system to provide access to the two west side entrances.
The Best Farm, or Hermitage, is located at the northwest side of the Monocacy battlefield. The Best Farm comprises the southern 274 acres of what was originally a 748-acre plantation known as L'Hermitage, and was home to Victoire Vincendière (1776-1854). The Vincendières are believed to have been former landowners from Saint-Domingue (Haiti) who had fled the Haitian Revolution, assembling L'Hermitage between 1793 and 1798. By 1800 there were ninety slaves on the property, the second largest number in Frederick County, and one of the largest in Maryland.
The Vincendieres sold the farm in 1827, and after several transfers of ownership it was acquired by Charles E. Trail in 1852 who operated it as a tenant farm. Confederate armies camped at the Best Farm throughout the Civil War. On September 13, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's lost order No. 191 (which outlined his army's movements) was found on the Best Farm by soldiers from the 27th Indiana. In 1864, John T. Best took over operation of the farm from his father David. (David held six enslaved persons in 1860). During the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, Confederate artillery set up on his farm and sharpshooters took positions in the barn. They fired at Union troops guarding the covered bridge over the Monocacy River on the Georgetown Pike. The Union returned fire, however, setting the Best's barn ablaze and destroying the grain, hay, tools, and farming implements kept there.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield. National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 1 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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L'Hermitage
Interpretive marker about L'Hermitage, predecessor of the Best Farm.
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Stone Barn
The Stone Barn (1790s) at the Best Farm. "One of the most unusual features of this very extraordinary complex is the hipped roof stone barn set well behind the other buildings on the farm. It looks nothing like the barns that are common to the region, which typically had a ramp or bank at the back and a cantilevered forebay.
Contributing Resource, Monocacy National Battlefield. National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 1 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Stone Barn and Cornfield
Stone barn and cornfield. Best farm.
Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 1 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Clifton House
Clifton House, the Worthington Farm Main House. "Clifton, also known as the Worthington Farm, is located at the end of a long access lane, It is a two-story, five bay brick dwelling with an L-extension to the rear. The house faces east, typical of Maryland farmhouses, and is designed with a Georgian-inspired window, window, door, window, window plan. However, the detailing exhibits strong influence from the Greek Revival and Italianate styles from the third quarter of the 19th century. The house may have been built in 1851, for Griffin Taylor to move into after he left the neighboring property, Arcadia, and, if so, was probably considered by him to be temporary, since he seems to have been considering, if not negotiating the purchase of the Araby mansion farm. Clifton was described as a "new" dwelling when it was advertised for sale in 1856, after Tayior's death".
The Worthington family had purchased the farm in 1862, two years before the battle.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
"On the bank of the Monocacy near the steel and concrete highway bridge, 2.4 m., is the Worthington Home (L), a two-and-a-half-story brick house, used to care for wounded Confederates after the Battle of the Monocacy".--WPA Maryland Guide 1940
Stop 3 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Action at Worthington Farm
Interpretive maker about the battle at Worthington Farm.
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Thomas Farm (Araby Farm)
Thomas Farm (Araby Farm). View from the Vermont Monument.
"Araby farm, also known as the Thomas Farm, containing approximately 240 acres is located on the southwest side of Maryland Route 355 and on the east side of the Monocacy River, opposite the Hermitage. ... During the Battle of Monocacy, on July 9, 1864, the Thomas Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the day. Caught between Union and Confederate lines, the house and outbuildings were captured and recaptured by both armies several times. Confederate artillery posted at the nearby Worthington Farm caused severe damage to the house while attempting to dislodge Union sharpshooters. C. K. Thomas and his family took refuge in the cellar of the house during the battle".
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
Stop 4 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Thomas House
Thomas Farm house. The house is still occupied. "The Thomas Farm is named for Christian Keefer Thomas, who owned the property during the Battle of Monocacy ... The property known today as the Thomas Farm dates to a 1400-acre land grant called Wett Work, which was patented in 1 729, although probably not occupied or improved until the 1740s. ... in 1758, Scottish-born merchant and factor James Marshall bought Wett Work. Marshall was then living in Prince George's County; by 1770 he relocated to his Frederick County property. The house on the Thomas Farm was almost certainly built for Marshall at an unknown date in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. The house is two-stories tall with a partial cellar and an attic. Its walls were constructed of load-bearing brick masonry resting on fieldstone foundations while the interior floors and roofing were supported by traditional timber framing".
"Araby farm, also known as the Thomas Farm, containing approximately 240 acres is located on the southwest side of Maryland Route 355 and on the east side of the Monocacy River, opposite the Hermitage. ... During the Battle of Monocacy, on July 9, 1864, the Thomas Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the day. Caught between Union and Confederate lines, the house and outbuildings were captured and recaptured by both armies several times. Confederate artillery posted at the nearby Worthington Farm caused severe damage to the house while attempting to dislodge Union sharpshooters. C. K. Thomas and his family took refuge in the cellar of the house during the battle".
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
Stop 4 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
"Right on the Baker Valley Road to the Thomas House (R), 0.5 m., a two-and-a half-story brick dwelling built about 1780 by James Marshall. When this house was bombarded during the Battle of the Monocacy, the Thomas family and neighbors took refuge in the cellar. General U.S. Grant, General David A. Hunter, and General Philip Sheridan conferred here on August 5, 1864, and decided on the Virginia campaign against General Jubal Early".--WPA Maryland Guide 1940.
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Tenant House
Stone Tenant House at the Thomas Farm.
"Araby farm, also known as the Thomas Farm, containing approximately 240 acres is located on the southwest side of Maryland Route 355 and on the east side of the Monocacy River, opposite the Hermitage. ... During the Battle of Monocacy, on July 9, 1864, the Thomas Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the day. Caught between Union and Confederate lines, the house and outbuildings were captured and recaptured by both armies several times. Confederate artillery posted at the nearby Worthington Farm caused severe damage to the house while attempting to dislodge Union sharpshooters. C. K. Thomas and his family took refuge in the cellar of the house during the battle".
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908.
Stop 4 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Thomas Farm Bank Barn
Bank Barn (a two-level barn built into the bank of a hillside) at the Thomas Farm. The style is also known as a Swisser barn. The timber frame bank barn was constructed circa 1900-1925 on the foundation of an earlier brick barn.
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Tomas Farm Corn Crib
Reconstructed corn crib at the Thomas Farm. The corn crib on the Araby Farm was recorded in an 1847 deed for the property. Monocacy National Battlefield.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
Stop 4 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Vermont Monument
Monument to the Tenth Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Installed in 1915. The monument, on Araby Church Road, marks the 10th Vermont’s position in the afternoon fighting. Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
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Pennsylvania Monument
The Pennsylvania Monument honors the 67th, 87th and 138th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiments of the Union Sixth Army Corps, whose Greek cross tops the 35-foot Blue Westerly granite shaft. Installed in 1908. Installed in 1908.
The 87th saw heavy fighting on the Thomas Farm, positioned beside the 10th Vermont and the 14th New Jersey. The 138th was held in reserve at first, then went into action on the extreme left flank of the Union line. Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
"Right on this road to the Pennsylvania Monument (L), a 35-foot granite shaft surmounted with a large polished granite ball. It commemorates the action here of the 67th, 87th, and 138th Regiments of the 6th Corps of the Army of the Potomac".--WPA Maryland Guide 1940.
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View from Araby Church Road
By afternoon, Union troops had fallen back to about this point along Georgetown Pike (Araby Church Road).
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Union Stand at Georgetown Pike
Interpretive marker about the final Union stand in the afternoon at Georgetown Pike (Araby Church Road today).
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Urbana Pike Bridge
Urbana Pike (Maryland 355) highway bridge across the Monocacy River. Built in 1931.
Union forces burned the wooden covered bridge at this location to prevent the Confederates from using it as river crossing. In the Civil War era the road was known as Georgetown Pike.
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Gambrill Mill (Araby Mill)
Gambrill Mill (Araby Mill) on the Monocacy River. The water wheels were inside the mill. During the Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864, the mill was at the center of battle and served as a field hospital. Gambrill Mill remained in operation to 1897. In the early 1900s, the mill was converted to a house by removing the upper story and converting the roof from gabled to hipped.
"The mill had previously been converted to a dwelling with the removal of the upper stories of the building and the conversion of the roof from a gabled structure to a hipped roof. These early 20th century alterations make the former mill building more like an American Foursquare style dwelling. The original mill was a three story stone building, 40'x 45' built in 1830 by John McPherson. It was a merchant mill, which produced flour for market." Adaptive reuse as the Monocacy Battlefield park administration building.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
Stop 5 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Gambrill Mill (Araby Mill)
Gambrill Mill (Araby Mill) on the Monocacy River. The water wheels were inside the mill. During the Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864, the mill was at the center of battle and served as a field hospital. Gambrill Mill remained in operation to 1897. In the early 1900s, the mill was converted to a house by removing the upper story and converting the roof from gabled to hipped.
"The mill had previously been converted to a dwelling with the removal of the upper stories of the building and the conversion of the roof from a gabled structure to a hipped roof. These early 20th century alterations make the former mill building more like an American Foursquare style dwelling. The original mill was a three story stone building, 40'x 45' built in 1830 by John McPherson. It was a merchant mill, which produced flour for market." Adaptive reuse as the Monocacy Battlefield park administration building.
Contributing resource, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
Stop 5 on the Monocacy Battlefield driving tour.
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Monocacy River Railway Bridge
CSX (Baltimore & Ohio) railway bridge across the Monocacy River. The 1854 B&O bridge across the Monocacy near Frederick Junction (also known as Araby) was destroyed several times during the Civil War. The existing deck plate girder bridge was rebuilt in 1927, probably using pilings from earlier iterations of the bridge. It remains in use by CSX. B&O Old Main Line bridge no. 35.
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Monocacy National Battlefield
Cannons at Monocacy National Battlefield. View to the East towards Frederick Junction.
Monocacy National Battlefield, National Register of Historic Places 66000908
"The northern boundary of Monocacy National Military Park, established in 1934, is at 1.1 m. On July 7, 1864 General Lew Wallace, with 2,700 men under General E.B. Tyler, took up a position at Monocacy Junction, planning to check the advance of General Jubal Early and his 15,000 Confederate troops. On July 8 Wallace was joined by 3,350 men from General Rickett's division. The bloody battle fought the next day ended in a decisive Union defeat but the delay it caused Early probably prevented the Capital from falling into the hands of the Confederates. The Federal casualties were 1,880, the Confederates lost between 600 and 700".--WPA Maryland Guide 1940.
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