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

Federal Artillery Battery

Cold Harbor Battlefield Park Walking Trail

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

1. Federal Artillery Battery Marker

Inscription. Under the cover of night, Union artillerists left their horses at the foot of the hill behind you and dragged six rifled cannon up the slope by hand. The guns were then placed side by side inside this redoubt, with earthen mounds known as traverses, separating them for protection. The ammunition chests were carried behind the guns and placed in trenches dug for their protection. One artilleryman recalled that spare ammunition was wrapped in raincoats and placed near the guns.

This hill afforded Federal gunners a commanding view of the fields stretching past the Garthright House to the Confederate lines, 500 yards to the west. As part of the bombardment preceding the Union assault of June 3, this battery hurled shot and shell at Lee’s trenches. Most of Grant’s ordnance either fell short or flew harmlessly over the Confederate works.

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

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is June 3, 1862.

Location. 37° 35.101′ N, 77° 16.648′ 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

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. 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. The Bloody Eighth (a few steps from this marker); Scars of Conflict (within shouting distance of this marker); A Well Preserved Union Artillery Position (within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of Gaines’ Mill - 1862 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Deadly Work of Sharpshooters (about 400 feet away); Digging In (about 500 feet away); Misery In The Trenches (about 500 feet away); A Dreadful Harvest (about 500 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 "Union battery in action at Cold Harbor."

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.)

4. Cold Harbor Battlefield Park Walking Trail. This marker is

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

2. Federal Artillery Battery Marker

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 1,027 times since then and 9 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.