To Take Washington

To Take Washington is a new Line of Battle (LoB) series game covering Jubal Early’s campaign during the summer of 1864. From June into July, Old Jube swept out of the Shenandoah Valley and across the Potomac River to advance on Washington DC. By threatening the Federal capital, Early and the Confederate command hoped to divert forces from Grant’s Overland Campaign, relieving the pressure on Richmond. Historically, Early narrowly defeated Lew Wallace on the Monocacy River, outside of Frederick, MD. However, this ‘victory’ cost him precious time and manpower. Though he went on to test the outer forts protecting Washington itself (mainly at Fort Stevens), Early was too weak and too late to take advantage of the once-denuded nature of the fortress garrisons. As Abraham Lincoln quipped, “Mr. Early, you are late.”