Near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Third Battle of Winchester
Confederate Horse Artillery
Photographed By Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
1. The Third Battle of Winchester Marker
"A more murderous fire I never witnessed..."Col. Thomas Munford, C.S.A.
In an effort to protect the Confederate left flank, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee placed a detachment of cavalry and six pieces of horse artillery, lighter cannons made specifically for horse soldiers, along this rise. These guns, under the command of Major James Breathed, poured a devastating fire into the ranks of the Union Nineteenth Army Corps as it advanced and retreated across the fields on the other side of Red Bud Run. According to one Confederate officer: "Our cannoneers made their battery roar, sending their death-dealing messengers with a precision and consistency that made the earth around them seem to tremble....A more murderous fire I never witnessed than was plunged into this heterogeneous mass."
By the time Northern troops made a flanking movement late in the afternoon, the Southerners were no longer here. Union Artillery later used this position to support the Eighth Corps in its advanced towards Winchester.
Erected by Civil War Preservation Trust.
Topics. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 39° 12.253′ N, 78° 7.56′ W. Marker is near Winchester, Virginia, in Frederick County. Marker can be reached from Redbud Road (County Route 661), on the right when traveling east. Located at the Confederate Horse Artillery Wayside, along the Confederate Flank Trail, inside the CWPT Third Winchester Battlefield site. The closest trailhead to this marker is along Redbud Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winchester VA 22603, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Duval's Attack (within shouting distance of this marker); Stuck In The Mud (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named The Third Battle of Winchester (about 400 feet away); In Memory of Gilcin F. Meadors III (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named The Third Battle of Winchester (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Third Battle of Winchester (about 700 feet away); Sheridan Renews The Attack (about 700 feet away); Fury On The Fence Line (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.
More about this marker. On the lower right is a portrait of Major James Breathed. "According to Col. William H. Payne, C.S.A., he 'fought the Yankees because he hated them. When he entered a battle it was to kill.... He would have thought it an insult to his dead comrades to dream in a nightmare that we were rightfully beaten and that they had died for a foolish cause." On the right is a map of the tactical situation between 11:40 a.m. and 12:30p.m, September 19, 1864 (2nd Phase of the Battle).
Also see . . .
1. Major James Breathed. Antietam on the Web entry:
A physician by trade, Breathed joined Stuart's cavalry by way of chance encounter as an artillerist. He served
Photographed By Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
2. Detail of the Map
Take a Virtual Tour by Markers of the CWPT's Third Winchester Battlefield:
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
2. Summary of the Battle of Third Winchester. The action described on the marker is covered under phase 4 of this National Parks Service summary. (Submitted on October 27, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Photographed By Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
3. The Confederate Horse Artillery Marker
The Confederate batteries occupied the high ground north of Redbud Run, and were able to fire across the ravine into the flanks of the advancing Federals.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,431 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 22, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
