Near Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Union Reserve Line

Cold Harbor Battlefield Park Walking Trail

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

1. Union Reserve Line Marker

Inscription. The Union front lines lay 325 yards west of here; reserve troops occupied this ground. These Union pits may have been a stop along the relay system that brought reinforcements and supplies to the forward line. Imagine soldiers huddled inside these trenches, with their rifles, canteens, blankets, and haversacks, waiting for the call to the front. “The baking down of the summer sun became intolerable,” remarked one veteran, “that the line of men would canopy the whole trench with their blankets.”

Overcrowded conditions, poor sanitation, and too few rations allowed sickness and disease to weaken Grant’s army. Nearly 3,000 Federal soldiers reported to Union hospitals during the two weeks at Cold Harbor.

Erected by Hanover County Parks and Recreation, National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.

Location. 37° 35.238′ N, 77° 16.638′ W. Marker is near Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. Marker can be reached from Cold Harbor Road (State Highway 156) 0.2 miles east of Boatswain Lane, on the right when traveling east. This marker is located along a one-mile trail in the 50-acre Cold Harbor Battlefield Park. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 6005 Cold Harbor Road, Mechanicsville VA 23111, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. From Farmland to Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); Preparation For Battle (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Dreadful Harvest (about 400 feet away); The Battle Opens (about 400 feet away); Garthright House (about 500 feet away); The Family Cemetery (about 500 feet away); The Battle of Gaines’ Mill - 1862 (about 500 feet away); Cold Harbor Battlefield Walking Trail (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

More about this marker. In the center is a sketch of a canopied entrenchment.

Regarding Union Reserve Line. After 145 years, the artillery battery and rifle pits in this park are in excellent condition - well worth the one mile hike.

Also see . . .
1. Hanover County Parks and Recreation. Cold Harbor Battlefield Park (Submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

2. Richmond National Battlefield Park. Cold Harbor (Submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

3. CWSAC Battle Summary. Cold Harbor (Submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Union Reserve Line Marker in front of preserved rifle pits. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

2. Union Reserve Line Marker in front of preserved rifle pits.

4. Cold Harbor Battlefield Park Walking Trail. This marker is one along the walking trail around a portion of the Cold Harbor Battlefield preserved by Hanover County Parks and Recreation. (Submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Union Rifle Pit. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

3. Union Rifle Pit.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

4. Union Rifle Pit.

Trail marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

5. Trail marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,019 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.