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

The Deadly Work of Sharpshooters

Cold Harbor Battlefield Park Walking Trail

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

1. The Deadly Work of Sharpshooters Marker

Inscription. Adding to the misery of the Union and Confederate soldiers at Cold Harbor was the fear of enemy sharpshooters. Quite often armed with special rifles these marksmen would prey on any unfortunate soldier who appeared in their sights. A Confederate officer described their tactics at Cold Harbor: “If one caught a glimpse of an enemy anywhere, he would sight carefully at that spot…if someone appeared, he had only to press his trigger.”

A soldier from the 15th New Jersey Infantry was killed in this vicinity when he reported to his colonel that he had completed digging a grave for one of his comrades. “Instantly a musket ball struck him in the face and he fell dying at our feet. He was laid in the grave he had dug. We widened it for two.”

While it was impossible to be certain how the pit before you was used, it is typical of the defensive positions that sharpshooter would employ in their deadly work. Others chose to climb tall trees to be able to spot enemy movements behind the main lines.

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° 35.111′ N, 77° 16.727′ W. Marker

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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. 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. Digging In (within shouting distance of this marker); A Well Preserved Union Artillery Position (within shouting distance of this marker); Misery In The Trenches (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Federal Artillery Battery (about 400 feet away); The Bloody Eighth (about 400 feet away); Scars of Conflict (about 500 feet away); Preparation For Battle (about 500 feet away); The Battle of Gaines’ Mill - 1862 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

More about this marker. On the right is a sketch of a "Confederate sharpshooter targeting his Union victim. Civil War rifles were surprisingly accurate, and successful “hits” were not uncommon at 1,000 yards."

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

The Deadly Work of Sharpshooters Marker behind a rifle pit. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

2. The Deadly Work of Sharpshooters Marker behind a rifle pit.

. 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.)

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.)

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 1,130 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.