Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History
SKU: 5179556661

Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History

Sale price$18.35 Regular price$20.39
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 6 - Jul 11

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American HistoryMarc Leepson, critically acclaimed author of Flag: An American Biography, examines the Battle of Monocacy a crucial and singular moment in the Civil War with his trademark historical detail and enlivening voice The Battle of Monocacy, which took place four miles south of Frederick, Maryland on a blisteringly hot day in 1864, was a full field engagement between some 12,000 battle hardened Confederate troops led by the controversial Jubal Anderson

Marc Leepson, critically acclaimed author of Flag: An American Biography, examines the Battle of Monocacy---a crucial and singular moment in the Civil War---with his trademark historical detail and enlivening voice

The Battle of Monocacy, which took place four miles south of Frederick, Maryland on a blisteringly hot day in 1864, was a full-field engagement between some 12,000 battle-hardened Confederate troops led by the controversial Jubal Anderson Early, and some 5,800 Union troops, many of them untested in battle, under the mercurial Lew Wallace. When the fighting ended, Early had routed Wallace in the northernmost Confederate victory of the war.

Two days later, on another brutally hot afternoon, the foul-mouthed, hard-drinking Early sat astride his horse outside the gates of Fort Stevens in the upper northwestern fringe of Washington, D.C. He was about to make one of the war's most fateful, portentous decisions: whether or not to order his men to invade the nation's capital.

Once manned by tens of thousands of experienced troops, Washington's ring of forts and fortifications that day were in the hands of a ragtag collection of walking wounded Union soldiers, the Veteran Reserve Corps, along with what were known as hundred days' men---raw recruits who had joined the Union Army to serve as temporary, rear-echelon troops. It was with great shock, then, that the city received news of the impending rebel attack. With near panic filling the streets, Union leaders scrambled to coordinate a force of volunteers.

But Early did not pull the trigger. With his men exhausted after the fight at Monocacy and the ensuing march, Early paused before attacking the feebly manned Fort Stevens, giving Union General Ulysses Grant just enough time to send thousands of veteran troops up from Richmond. In the battle that followed, Abraham Lincoln became the only sitting president in American history to come so close to military action that he was fired upon by the enemy.

Historian Marc Leepson shows that had Early arrived in Washington one day earlier, the ensuing havoc easily could have brought about a different conclusion to the war. He uses a vast amount of primary material, including memoirs, official records, newspaper accounts, diary entries and eyewitness reports in a reader-friendly and engaging description of the events surrounding what became known as "the Battle That Saved Washington."



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 06/10/2008
ISBN: 9780312382230
Pages: 303
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.90d
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 5179556661

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 287 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
D
Verified Purchase
Deborah Barnum
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Quality and Comfort
Size: 12, Color: White
My husband is a Cole Haan shoe person and what we love mostly is the comfort and quality and style.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026
S
Verified Purchase
superbrain
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Size seems spot on shoe is beautiful
Size: 12, Color: White
These are beautiful shoes. A great cross between the ubiquitous flat as a board shoes like vans and tennis shoes. More comfortable than the super flat shoes and more formal than sneakers. Very soft leather. Not much arch support and I don't know if an insert would fit well. I am between an 11.5 and 12 in most brands (actual foot length from heel to tip of big toe is 11 and 1/8 inches). These fit perfectly in a 12 with room for comfort. An 11.5 probably would fit but snugly. I do not agree that they should be sized down at least based on my experience. If you can get these for under eighty dollars like I did they are well worth it. I'll be wearing them all summer.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021
I
Verified Purchase
It's cool.
Houston, US
★★★★★ 4
Weightless, well made. But there are problems with size
Size: 8.5, Color: White
I bought it for a teenager, for size 81/2. This, according to the dimensions on the page, is 25.9 centimeters. They came, the size was indicated correctly, but they are large for the child. Very large. They fit me, size 10. The child is disappointed. Well made, look neat on the foot. Almost weightless But I can't give the maximum rating. I wish the seller to deal with the size grid.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2026
M
Verified Purchase
Matthew Gonzales
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing Shoe!
Size: 9 Wide, Color: Blazer Blue Hand Stain
Amazing shoe!! Comfortable to wear for long periods of time! Highly recommend!! 👍🏾
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2025
W
Verified Purchase
William Mantilla
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Calzado elegante para oficina de excelente calidad
Producto de excelente calidad. La entrega fue rápida y el empaque llegó en perfectas condiciones. Cumple completamente con lo descrito en la publicación.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2026

recommand products