jul 11, 1864 - Lesser known battles: Battle of fort Stevens

Description:

Following the victory at the battle of Monocacy, Early pushed forward to the Union capital in Washington in an attempt to hit Lincoln in his political centre. Early's men succeed in reaching the outskirts of the city. The city is only being defended by home guards, clerks and convalescent troops, however reinforcements arrive in the night.

Several canon shots have been fired during the fight, the fight that Abe Lincoln was watching from fort Stevens. Several sharpshooters noticed the president and fired shots at him, luckily for the Union non of these hit Lincoln.

When Early noticed that the city had been reinforced with veteran troops he pulled back and ended the invasion of Maryland.

Early is said to have said '' “We didn’t take Washington, but we scared Abe Lincoln like Hell.”

Source: (https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/fort-stevens)