We had to run but we saved the army: With the Ohio National Guardsmen at Monocacy

“It seldom falls to the lot of veterans to be more tried than was the Ohio National Guard at the stone bridge, and none ever carried our trying and hazardous orders betters or with a more determined spirit than did the 149th Ohio and the men associated with it.” ~ Brigadier General Erastus B. Tyler on the Battle of Monocacy

          Little was expected of the ten companies of recently federalized Ohio National Guardsmen when they went into action at the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864. General Lew Wallace tasked the Buckeyes with holding the Jug Bridge east of Frederick. This bridge carried the National Road over the Monocacy River, constituting the army’s retreat route to Baltimore. Wallace expected his opponent, General Jubal Early, to push south of Frederick to head for the nation’s capital, which meant that the Buckeyes should have a quiet assignment, but it didn’t turn out that way.

While the main fighting would take place far to the south near Monocacy Junction, the 660 Buckeyes under the command of Colonel Allison L. Brown spent the morning and afternoon skirmishing with two brigades of Confederate troops. But by 4 o’clock that afternoon, Wallace’s two brigades of Sixth Corps veterans were scrambling off the field and Wallace tasked the Ohioans with covering the retreat of the army.

Recently, a hitherto untapped account of the fighting at Jug Bridge was discovered residing within the pages of the Clinton Republican newspaper from Wilmington, Ohio. Written by an unknown member of Co. G of the 149th Ohio, this letter provides some interesting details of the fight and the retreat at Monocacy.

 

This turn-of-the-century postcard view depicts the grounds over which the Ohio National Guardsmen fought during the Battle of Monocacy. The Jug Bridge in the foreground carries the National Road over Monocacy River while Reich's Ridge rises in the background. On the right of the road in the dim distance is Reich House where Co. G of the 149th deployed across the road and built a barricade of rails for defense while the balance of the 149th deployed to their right. The three companies of the 144th Ohio took position in the open fields to the left of the National Road. At the close of the fight, the Ohioans retreated over the bridge and many were captured along the National Road right where this image was made. The Jug Bridge collapsed into the Monocacy in March 1942 and today, only the crumbling abutments of the bridge still exist at the site, the span being replaced by a modern structure which carries US-40 over the river. The "jug" itself was also preserved, but has been moved out by the Frederick Municipal Airport. 

          We left Camp Parole [Annapolis, Maryland] on July 7th and arrived at Monocacy Junction July 7th at noon. We then marched to Frederick City and that night we passed through the city and on Friday morning to the north side we formed a line of battle about one-half mile from the city and remained there till about 2 o’clock. Our force consisted of seven companies of the 149th Ohio and three companies of the 144th Ohio. We then retreated to the south side of the city and took up a position on the Baltimore Pike on the south side of the Monocacy River with orders to hold the stone bridge across aid river.

          The balance of General Wallace’s forces marched to the Junction, three miles to our left rear early Saturday. Captain Joshua Hussey’s company was sent down to the bridge on guard and also advanced a squad of pickets upon the ridge between the ridge and the city. In about an hour the pickets were fired on by the Johnnies. Our company immediately advanced and deployed as skirmishers. The Johnnies also advanced. Colonel [Allison] Brown ordered up from companies to our support until our whole force was engaged.

Colonel Allison L. Brown, 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Our company made breastworks of rails across the turnpike while the other companies deployed to our right and left. By this time, the action had become general at the Junction, our army contending against four times our numbers. The fight continued till 4 o’clock in the evening, when General Wallace retreated from the Junction, at the same time sending orders to our regiment to hold the bridge at all hazards.

 “We fought them and kept them back two hours after the main body of our men had retreated. They beat our men back at the Junction, came round, flanked us on the left, and tried to cut us off from the bridge. But we gained it by hard running. They poured a volley crossfire upon us as we went across the bridge. They did not hit many but I tell you the balls flew like hail around us.” ~ Private Henry C. Johnson, Co. K, 149th Ohio

 

“Company E covered the retreat. We had not got to the river when the Rebels had crossed the bridge and got on our flank and rear, firing on us from every direction. We held them for a few minutes until most of the regiment crossed the bridge and passed us. We started on the double quick, the Rebs still pouring it into us from every point. When the Rebel crew charged on us, we broke for a wheat field where I laid until dark when I started for Baltimore. The adjutant told us that if it hadn’t been for Co. E, the whole regiment would have been lost.” ~ Private John Earl, Co. E, 149th Ohio

We continued to fight the whole Rebel army for two hours longer until the whole of the army was safe, except our regiment. At 6 o’clock the Rebels had gotten in our rear and on both flanks, very heavy on our left but light on the right. We then retreated under a galling fire in front and on the left, and after we crossed the bridge, a severe fire opened for half a mile along the left of the pike. We ran the gauntlet with very little loss save our prisoners, our company only losing two men wounded. All day, the regiment lost only 7 killed and 10 wounded, but we lost about 100 prisoners, our company losing about 17 of them. So, we had to run, but we saved the army and all the regiment save what is named above.

 

For more about Monocacy, please check out the following posts:

“The 144th and 149th Ohio at the Battle of Monocacy”

“Buckeyes Along the Monocacy”

“Taking a Bullet and Finding a Wife at Monocacy”

 

Sources:

Letter from unknown member of Co. G, 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Clinton Republican (Ohio), August 12, 1864, pg. 2

Letter from Private John Earl, Co. E, 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Weekly Scioto Gazette (Ohio), July 19, 1864, pg. 2

Letter from Private Henry C. Johnson, Co. K, 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Johnson Family Papers, 1861-1864, VFM 4832, Ohio History Connection

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