Baby BlueS felt sluggish – acceleration slow, steering heavy… Not what I expected from a Mini Paceman S.
Looking for answers on the dashboard, I found a switch labeled “Sport.” Tada! A push of the switch and the car leapt forward and jumped to life - accelerator responding and the steering light.
Today is my annual battlefield trek. Grab a fun car and drive thru history.
The Monocacy National Battlefield is just south of Frederick Maryland and bills itself as the Battle that Saved Washinton, DC.
By July 1863, Grant had surrounded Lee in Petersburg. Lee ordered Jubal Early and 15,000 soldiers to Lynchburg, VA to protect Confererate supply lines and, if successful, march north. Early beat back the Union army and crossed into Maryland at Hagerstown.
Marching into Frederick, MD Early demanded a $200,000 ransom or he would burn the city. The city bankers dawdled hoping for a Union Victory. Problem was, there was no Union army. The Confederates received their ransom.
General Lew Wallace defending Wahington DC assembled 3,200 green troops and rushed them by railroad to Monocacy Junction. Grant sent 3,400 troops by rail to Monocacy Junction and others by rail to Baltimore.
Wallace’s makeshift army delayed the Early’s troops long enough for Grant to send two division from Petersburg to DC to reinforce the city. When Early reached DC he entered the city but could not breach the forts defending the city.
After the battlefield tour and enjoying Baby BlueS, I reflected on the battle. Suddenly 6 deer crossed the road in front the car in front of me. One Deer about to be hit, leaped on and slid across the hood of the Camry, fell to the asphalt, spun around and fled. To my left 6 additional Deer halted their advance.
The Camry was my Lew Wallace and saved the Baby BlueS.
It is unlikely you know of Lew Wallace and the Monocacy battle. But you do know small actions can have big consequences.
How about you? What was your small action? Share a Story!
2nd Helping
What happened to the $200,000? It was never found. Speculation is that Early distributed among his commanders to purchase clothing and supply the troops.
On May 27, 1892, Lieutenant Davis received the Medal of Honor for "holding two bridges against repeated assaults of superior numbers... delaying Early's advance on Washington."
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