The 18th Virginia Cavalry Fights Stubbornly at The Battle of Third Winchester

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A great Confederate battle letter, 4.pp., 8vo., written by Sergeant Charles P. Harmon, Co. H, 18th Virginia Cavalry, "Camp near Fisher's Hill, [Va.], Sept. 22, 1864," to his brother concerning the battle of Third Winchester [a.k.a., Opequon], reading, in part: "I am still in the land of the living -altho quite stiff from much walking. On the 19th we had a general engagement of all our army with the Yankee army in which they had a greatly superior force of Inf., Art. & Cav. We were forced to retire to where the valley was narrower - and we had a fight yesterday and [are] still fighting today. Our Brigade was badly used up on the 19th. We lost a great many men and valuable officers. Capt. Taylor, comdg. our squadron was mortally wounded and fell into the hand[s] of the enemy so Julian [Lt. George Julian Pratt] is now comg. the squadron. He made some very narrow escapes. He had three horses shot under him and one of them killed. I had my little black killed & five holes shot through my overcoat. I rode as fas as the wagons where. I am still afoot - the quartermaster says we will not be paid for them. I suppose I will have to capture another and I surely will keep the first one I get. The prisoners say that Gen. Grant is here in person. Their soldiers were all drunk when they made the attack on the 19th, but our brigade stood it nobly eliciting the applauds of our Brigadier &b Major Genl. We diid as well as we possibly could, but could not keep back a whole division of Cav. & innumerable infantry. They say that Sheridan has been reinforced by two fresh army Corps from somewhere either Sherman's army or Richmond. I don't know which. Orders to move again I must now close - yours affect., Charlie. [Sat. Sept. 24th 1864] I closed the above and not having an opportunity to send it I will send some additional news. The evening I wrote the above the Yankees after fighting all day about 4 o'clock made a grand assault along our entire lines and carried them. They flanked on the left of our lines and charged our led horses about two miles in the rear of where the Reg. was, but our Co. mostly got out safe. We fell back that night to Roads Hill this side of Mt. Jackson and the Shenandoah River where we are still are. How long we will remain I do not know. I expect we will leave very zoo. Julian & Lt. [Mathias] Ginervn were well this morning & hearty & send love. Yours, etc., Charlie. I make no comments on our crawfish movement. C. P. H."

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