The Battle of Monocacy was one of the most important battles of the American Civil War. It was fought near Frederick, Maryland on July 9, 1864. A Confederate army commanded by Jubal Early was marching eastward towards Washington, D.C., to capture the city. A small Union army commanded by Lew Wallace fought the Confederates along the Monocacy River. The battle took most of the day to fight. The Confederates finally made Wallace's force retreat about 4:30 p.m. However, the delay kept the Confederates from reaching Washington until General Grant's soldiers reached the city. The Battle of Monocacy is sometimes called "the battle that saved Washington".