the area known as the wheatfield had three geographic features, all owned by the john rose family: the 20 acre (8 ha) field itself, rose woods bordering it on the west, and a modest elevation known as stony hill, also to the west. immediately to the southeast was houck's ridge and to the south devil's den. the fighting here, consisting of numerous confusing attacks and counterattacks over two hours by eleven brigades, earned the field the nickname "bloody wheatfield."