Continue eastward on 29 by making a "U" turn at the first crossover, 300 feet west of the Brawner's Farm Road. Proceed .4 mile to a lane on the north side of the road bordered by a snake fence; turn in and park. This is Battery Heights. Read the signs provided by the Park Service, then walk halfway to the gun battery visible to the northeast. This area marks the eastern flank of Gibbon's force in the Brawner's Farm struggle.
Again on 28 August, between 1800 and 2400, General Gibbon had committed the 6th Wisconsin on his right. It moved right down to the northern edge of the ridge on which the Park Service guns now are located.
As remembered by members of the 6th Wisconsin,
The regiment advanced without firing a shot, making a half wheel to the left in line of battle as accurately as if on the drill ground. Through that battle smoke into which we were advancing, I could see a blood red sun, sinking behind the hills. I can not account for our immunity from the fire of the enemy while on this advance. When at a short range, Colonel Cutler ordered the regiment to halt and fire. Our united fire did great execution. It seemed to throw the rebels into complete confusion and they fell back into the woods behind them. We now gave a loud and jubilant cheer throughout the whole line of our brigade. Our regiment was on low ground which, in the gathering darkness, gave us great advantage over the enemy, as they overshot our line. The other three regiments of the brigade were on higher ground than the enemy. There was space enough vacant between our regiment and the others for a thousand men. Colonel Cutler sat upon his horse near the colors at the center of the regiment. Lieut. Colonel Bragg was on the right and, being myself upon the left, I was in good position to observe the progress of the battle. It was quite dark when
the enemy's yelling columns again came forward, and they came with a rush. Our men on the left loaded and fired with the energy of madmen, and the sixth worked with an equal desperation. This stopped the rush of the enemy, and they halted and fired upon us their deadly musketry. During a few awful moments, I could see by the lurid light of the powder flashes, the whole of both lines. I saw a rebel mounted officer shot from his horse at the very front of their battle line. It was evident that we were being overpowered and that our men were giving ground. The two crowds, they could hardly be called lines, were within, it seemed to me, fifty yards of each other, and they were pouring musketry into each other as rapidly as men could load and shoot. Two of General Doubleday's regiments [56th Pennsylvania and 76th New York] now came suddenly into the gap on the left of our regiment, and they fired a crashing volley. Hurrah! They have come at the very nick of time. The low ground saved our regiments, as the enemy overshot us in the darkness.
During a lull in the action, a body of men was seen moving on the extreme left flank. As they came forward they shouted——
"Don't shoot your own men!"
At that distance it seemed doubtful whether they were friend or enemies, and it was not without much hesitation that the Colonel gave the order, "By the left oblique! Aim! Fire!"
No rebel of that column who escaped death, will ever forget that volley. It seemed like one gun. So well was it directed by our men, as could be judged by the immediate results, that there can be no doubt it very materially contributed to the repulse of this attempted flank attack.
The Regiment had been thoroughly drilled in firing and target practice, and it seemed as though every man took deadly aim, and brought down one or more of the enemy.
When the smoke cleared away a little, the few left of that mass of human beings who had so rapidly left the woods a few moments before, had disappeared, but the ground was literally covered with their dead and wounded. (as recalled by A. P. Smith, in 76th Regiment, New York Volunteers)
Monroe's Battery (D, 1st Rhode Island Light) posted two guns west of the parking lot.
The 95th New York of Doubleday's Brigade provided security for the guns. It was joined by the 30th New York of Hatch's Brigade. Hatch's guns fired support east from near Groveton.
The fighting ended about 2000. After a conference, General King decided to withdraw about 0100, 29 August.
Activity in the area was renewed on 29 August as the Federals probed eastward in an effort to fix Jackson's force for what Pope hoped was a final blow.
On 29 August, about 0500, elements of Sigel's Corps attacked.
At 0900 Schenck's Division of Sigel's Corps reached this point as the left flank of Sigel's attack. Stahel's Brigade straddled the road while McClean's extended southward.
Reynold's Division moved overland from Conrad's (now the SR 234/1-66 intersection) in response to Sigel's request for support on that flank. Two brigades remained around the Lewis House (now where CR 622 goes over I-66). Meade's Brigade went forward with Cooper's Battery (B, 1st Pennsylvania Light). The battery moved east of the Brawner House with one regiment (4th Pennsylvania Reserves) in support. The remainder of the brigade skirmished westward in the direction of Pageland Lane as far as a line parallel to the Brawner Farm Lane.
At 1000 Stahel moved to a point north of the Stonewall Memory Gardens, along Dogan's Branch to be in a position to support Milroy's Brigade engaged farther north.
McClean's Brigade gradually pulled back closer to Groveton to conform with the new line.
At 1030 these changes required Meade to pull back from near Brawner's Farm to south of the turnpike. Seymour's Brigade of Reynold's Division moved up the Groveton Road and the Pike to relieve him, while Jackson's Brigade came overland from the Lewis House to come on line. Meade's Brigade then pulled back to the Lewis House.
Shortly thereafter, Reynolds learned of the large force coming in front of him and pulled all his units back to the Lewis House area.
Between 1200 and 1600, after the Federals had withdrawn, Hood's Division moved forward on both sides of the Pike to the eastern edge of the woods just west of the parking lot. Colonel E. M. Law, brigade commander, said,
Later during the day Law moved forward to the east side of the Stonewall Memory Gardens when Federal guns farther east all withdrew for ammunition resupply.
On 30 August, about 1530, Porter's heavy attack could be seen clearly from here .6 to .8 miles to the northeast. Confederate guns in this area (the Dixie Artillery and other batteries on Douglas Heights beyond Brawner's House) effectively shattered it. General Cadmus Wilcox observed the Federal attack on Jackson's line from here.