During the battle two Federal brigades, those of General John Gibbon and General Abner Doubleday, struggled to a tactical draw with Stonewall Jackson's divisions under Richard Ewell and William Taliaferro. Fought near Groveton, Virginia on August 28, 1862, and lasting but three hours, the conflict at Brawner Farm had a tremendous impact on the outcome of the Second Manassas Campaign. Special attention is focused on Gibbon's brigade, soon to be called the Iron Brigade, and the Wisconsin and Indiana soldiers he commanded. The text is supplemented by five maps and forty-five photographs, many never before published.

    Previously understood only as a rear guard action on the way to Richmond and overshadowed by the events of the Seven Days, it was in fact a savage two days' engagement which at its height involved more than 20,000 troops in combat. This is the first full length book to treat the battle in all its strategic importance. The authors draw heavily on original sources to reconstruct the action and to highlight the stories of military and civilian participants in the battle and its aftermath. That original material offers new insights into events associated with the Battle of Williamsburg. An extensive appendix describes the location of the battlefield and includes descriptions of key sites which still exist.