Hardegen, Lance J./Backus, Bill Opening Manassas

The Iron Brigade, Stonewall Jackson, and the Battle on Brawner’s Farm, August 28, 1862

In the fading light of 28 August 1862, an untested Union brigade from Wisconsin and Indiana engaged in an unexpected 90-minute battle with Stonewall Jackson's Confederate veterans on John Brawner's fields in Virginia. The rebels recalled that a man from Wisconsin had screamed like a demon in a raging inferno that day. None of them realised that this was the immediate prelude to the far bloodier Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run). Despite its fascinating origins and far-reaching consequences, surprisingly little has been written about this remarkable battle. Opening Manassas: The Iron Brigade, Stonewall Jackson, and the Battle on Brawner's Farm, August 28, 1862 remedies this omission in the first comprehensive and balanced study ever published on the subject. In August 1862, Robert E. Lee struck north to take the war out of Richmond. His opponent, Major General John Pope at the head of the Army of Virginia, was new to the battlefield and had just learned a bloody lesson at Cedar Mountain on 9 August. Thomas Stonewall Jackson's wing marched first, swinging around behind Pope and destroying the Union's huge supply depot at Manassas Junction. This surprising move shocked Pope, who withdrew from his defensive line along the Rappahannock, determined to hunt down and destroy the Confederates. But first he had to find them. Unbeknownst to Pope, Jackson had positioned his men in a strong, wooded defensive position along an abandoned railway line. He needed only a reason to advance and ambush part of Pope's scattered army. That opportunity came on the afternoon of 28 August, when the men of the Iron Brigade marched along Warrenton Pike, unaware that danger lurked just a few metres from their right flank. One battle, two authors. This unique study uses a fog of war approach to portray the battle as it would have been experienced by soldiers on both sides and to show how different officers reacted with the information available to them at the time. Author Lance J. Herdegen covers the Union side, while National Park Service historian and veteran Bill Backus presents the Confederate perspective. Together, chapter by chapter, they lead their respective forces to the scene of destiny, using an original methodology that reveals unexpected insights into the fighting and leadership decisions on both sides. The battle was a brutal baptism of fire for the soldiers of the Western Union, while Jackson's bold advance betrayed his location and put his entire command in grave danger. Opening Manassas is based on primary sources and a comprehensive knowledge of the terrain. The unique approach of the two authors, who focus on the fog of war, as well as the original maps and explanations, make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the Civil War.