COL William Henry Harman

COL William Henry Harman was born 17 Feb 1828 in Waynesboro, Virginia. He was the second of the five brothers born to Lewis and Sarah Jane (Garber) Harman, all of whom would serve as officers in the Confederate States army during the Civil War. His father farmed in Augusta County. Like his brothers, William was given a private education. 

William left home to serve as a 2LT in the 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment during the Mexican American War. After his return he studied law and married Margaret Susan Garber on 26 Dec 1848. He began work as a lawyer and was elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Augusta County, Virginia in 1851 and held the position until the Civil War. 

William and Margaret had eight children. Their second child, Frances, died at the age of 2 of an undisclosed (or unknown) cause in 1850. Their eldest child, Kenton, died of a "sore throat" at the age of 7 in 1857. 

William was appointed Brigadier General of the 13th Brigade of Virginia Militia by Governor John Letcher on 10 Apr 1861. As such he was part of the plot initiated by former governor Henry Wise to preemptively seize the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry (now in West Virginia). After Virginia voted for succession on 17 Apr 1861, Governor Letcher approved the plan and BG Harman's troops under MG Kenton Harper captured the post on 18 Apr 1861. 

The 5th Virginia Regiment was organized there with COL Kenton Harper commanding and LTC William Harman as what would now be referred to as the executive officer. The regiment was assigned to BG Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's brigade (1st Virginia Brigade) and William's brother, COL Michael Garber Harman was initially the brigade's quartermaster and he was soon succeeded by their brother MAJ John Harman. The unit fought at First Manassas on 21 Jul 1861 where General Jackson received his nickname. William succeeded as commander of the 5th Virginia in September 1861 when COL Harper resigned. COL Harman commanded the regiment at the First Battle of Kernstown on 23 Mar 1862. He was not elected as Colonel of the regiment in the April 1862 reorganization of the Confederate army. Instead he served as an aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Edward "Alleghany" Johnson in the Valley Campaign in April 1862 and then returned home. 

He was appointed Assistant Adjutant General on 19 Feb 1864. He commanded a regiment of militia/reservists/home guard at the Battle of Piedmont on 5 Jun 1864. He survived that defeat and continued to serve. He was present to command CSA soldiers at the Battle of Waynesboro and was killed in action while attempting to rally his soldiers on 2 Mar 1865.

COL Harman's body was recovered and interred in Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia. He is survived by numerous descendants. His brothers worked towards economic recovery for the region.