MONOCACY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD TOUR
STOP 3: THOMAS FARM
Allow 20 minutes for a visit
Add an hour if you walk the Thomas Farm and Middle Ford Ferry Loop Trails
The third stop on the Monocacy National Battlefield Tour is at the Thomas Farm where the most intense fighting of the Battle of Monocacy took place on July 9, 1864. Visitors can park at the Thomas Farm barn, but the wayside exhibits for the tour stop are at the parking lot on Baker Valley Road. It is a 200-yard walk from here to the farm buildings. The small house at the Baker Valley Road parking lot is a tenant farmer house built in the 1950s. It is currently used as an office for the National Park Service.
BATTLE AT THE THOMAS FARM
When the opening shots of the Battle of Monocacy were fired around 8:30 AM on the morning of July 9, 1864, Union general Lew Wallace believed the Confederates would first attempt to capture Monocacy Junction, which was on the other side of the Monocacy River from the bulk of the Union army positioned at the Thomas Farm and Gambrill Mill. If the Confederates succeeded, Wallace believed they would then come across the river via the wooden covered bridge on Georgetown Turnpike (which followed the route of the modern Urbana Pike and Araby Church Road), the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge a quarter mile to the east, and another stone bridge on the Baltimore Pike two miles farther to the northeast. Union troops defended all three bridges.
Confederate general Jubal Early had the same plan, and in the early morning the two sides began trading artillery fire. While Monocacy Junction was defended by only 350 Union infantrymen, they were supported by the artillery on the other side of the river. Early soon recognized that a frontal attack that involved moving 15,000 men across bridges would be too costly, so around 10 AM he sent General John McCausland’s 1,100-man cavalry unit downstream (west) to cross the river at Worthington Ford, an area shallow enough to cross on horse or on foot. Now on the Worthington Farm property, the Confederates would be able to attack the Union left flank at the Thomas Farm.
Wallace suspected the move, so he had the wooden bridge on Georgetown Turnpike burned and shifted more men to the Thomas Farm. The Union soldiers formed a new line facing west, hiding behind fences and rows of corn that separated the two farms. When McCausland was within range, they opened fire, killing or wounding a substantial number of cavalrymen. McCausland retreated to the base of Brooks Hill on the Worthington Farm, regrouped, and attacked again around 2 PM. They successfully drove the Union soldiers away from the farm buildings but were soon overwhelmed when the Union launched a counter attack and retook the lost ground. Once again, the Confederate cavalry was back at Brooks Hill.
Early then sent General John B. Gordon’s infantry division (approximately 3,500 soldiers) across the river at Worthington Ford to join with McCausland, who was actually in the midst of a third failed attack. In fact, as McCausland was retreating, his men ran into Gordon’s oncoming infantrymen. After regrouping, the Confederates launched a three-pronged final attack on the Thomas Farm around 3:30 PM. Union troops fell back to the Georgetown Turnpike—in this area now Araby Church Road—where they used the embankment along the road for cover and made a final stand. They lasted an hour before Wallace ordered a full retreat back to Baltimore. There were approximately 900 Confederate soldiers who were killed, wounded, missing, or taken prisoner. The Union suffered roughly 1,300 casualties from an army of approximately 6,600 men.
Monocacy Battle Map (Andrei Nacu at English Wikipedia)
THOMAS FARM HISTORY
The property known as the Thomas Farm was purchased by Christian Thomas in 1860. At the time the plantation was known as Araby. The house, which is thought to have been built in the 1770s by the original property owner, James Marshall, was severely damaged during the battle. Union sharpshooters positioned themselves inside the house, making it a prime target for Confederate artillery. The house was repaired and expanded over the years, so what stands today is far from its appearance when built by Marshall. The house is not open to the public. It is now the Monocacy National Battlefield park headquarters.
A few other buildings remain on the farm. A wooden corncrib was first mentioned in an 1847 deed for the property. It was also used as a wagon shed.
A stone house used by tenant farmers was built in the 1750s. In modern times it was modified for use as a pool house by the Clapp Family, who purchased the property in 1954.
The bank barn, the largest outbuilding at the Thomas Farm, was not around during the Civil War. It was built in the early 1900s on the foundation of a previous barn. The brick silo standing next to it was there before the barn was built. It is thought to have been constructed in the late 1800s. The roof on the silo is from 2009. The barn is currently used to store maintenance equipment.
Two other structures are thought to have been built in the mid-1800s: a brick building and a wooden shed. There is also a small building located next to the Thomas House garage that covers a hand-dug well that was built in the early 1900s (not pictured on this page).
The Thomas Family lived at the farm until selling it in 1910. It was purchased in 2001 by the National Park Service, though the owners at the time, Robert and Josephine Clapp, were allowed to live out their lives on the farm (the last survivor died in 2008). Post Civil War structures were removed by the National Park Service, including a swimming pool and tennis court.
In addition to walking the grounds around the farm buildings, visitors to the Thomas Farm can hike the former battlefield on the Thomas Farm Loop Trail and the Middle Ford Ferry Loop Trail.
Stop 4: Gambrill Mill | Stop 2: Worthington Farm | Battlefield Tour Main Page
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Last updated on May 5, 2023