Opening Manassas

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

Lance J. Herdegen, Bill Backus

• Publisher: Savas Beatie
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781954547698
• Edition: 0
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 19th Century History
• Index: History

In the fading light of August 28, 1862, an untested Union brigade of Wisconsin and Indiana men fought an unexpected 90-minute stand-up clash with the Confederate veterans of Stonewall Jackson on the Virginia farm fields of John Brawner. The Rebels recalled a Wisconsin man that day “yelling like demons [in] a roaring hell of fire.” Despite its fascinating origins and far-reaching consequences, surprisingly little has been penned about this remarkable engagement. Opening Manassas: The Iron Brigade, Stonewall Jackson, and the Battle on Brawner’s Farm, August 28, 1862, rectifies this oversight in the first full-length balanced study of the affair ever published.

In August 1862, Robert E. Lee struck north to carry the war away from Richmond. His opponent at the head of the recently constructed Army of Virginia, Maj. Gen. John Pope, was new to the theater and had just suffered a bloody awakening at Cedar Mountain on August 9. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s wing marched first, swinging behind Pope and destroying the massive Union supply depot at Manassas Junction. The stunning move shocked the Union high command. Pope withdrew from his defensive line along the Rappahannock determined to find and eradicate the Confederates. First he had to find them. Unbeknownst to Pope, Jackson had deployed his men in a strong wooded defensive position along an abandoned railroad cut. All Old Jack needed was a reason to sally forth and strike an unsuspecting piece of Pope’s scattered army. That opportunity presented itself on the afternoon of August 28 when the Western men, soon to be known as the Iron Brigade, marched along the Warrenton Pike, unaware that danger lurked just yards away off their exposed left flank.

One battle, two authors. This unique study uses a fog-of-war approach to unfold the battle as the soldiers of both sides would have experienced it, and how the various officers reacted with only the information they had at the time. Award-winning author Lance J. Herdegen handles the Union side of the equation, while preservation historian and veteran of the National Park Service, Bill Backus, chronicles the Confederate perspective. Together, chapter by chapter, they march their respective forces to the point of destiny and discover unexpected insights into the engagement and the leadership decisions of both sides. The affair was a rude baptism of blood for Western Union men, while the bold thrust by Jackson revealed his location and put his entire command in serious peril.

Opening Manassas is based on primary source material and a complete understanding of the terrain. Its unique dual-author and fog-of-war approach, together with its original maps and explanatory notes, makes it a must-have book for students of the Civil War.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Chapter 1 - “Johnny Stole a Ha-a-am”
• Chapter 2 - “Splendid Looking Fellows”
• Chapter 3 - “Battle Is a Dreadful Experience”
• Chapter 4 - “The Southern Renegade”
• Chapter 5 - “The Whole Yankee Army Is Played Out”
• Chapter 6 - “A Pleasant Place”
• Chapter 7 - “Lee’s Dilemma”
• Chapter 8 - “Mule Racing & 4th of July”
• Chapter 9 - “I Want Pope Suppressed”
• Chapter 10 - “End of Summer”
• Chapter 11 - “Who Could Not Conquer with Such Troops as These”
• Chapter 12 - “One of the Meanest Generals”
• Chapter 13 - “A Rapid March”
• Chapter 14 - “His Entire Command”
• Chapter 15 - “Ran Like Turkeys”
• Chapter 16 - “Where Is Jackson”
• Chapter 17 - “He Did Not Tell Ewell Where to Go”
• Chapter 18 - “A Rude Baptism of Fire”
• Chapter 19 - “A Very Formidable Barrier”
• Chapter 20 - “Horse Artillery or Something More”
• Chapter 21 - “Move Your Division and Attack the Enemy”
• Chapter 22 - “The Woods Are Full of ‘Em”
• Chapter 23 - “Could Not Brook the Idea of Quitting”
• Chapter 24 - “Shall I Run”
• Chapter 25 - “A Question of Endurance”
• Chapter 26 - “Help in the Nick of Time”
• Chapter 27 - “Put Me Down and Give Them Hell”
• Chapter 28 - “A Grim and Weary Night”
• Chapter 29 - “Oh How We Suffered”
• Chapter 30 - “We Found Your Beloved Son”
• Chapter 31 - “More of True Valor”
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Authors