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

Digging In

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, December 27, 2025

1. Digging In Marker

The county erected a marker with identical text to replace the NPS marker, in this same location.

Inscription. By the time the armies reached Cold Harbor soldiers on both sides were adept at building earthworks. The trenches before you are typical of the works that stretched for nearly seven miles and defined the fighting here at Cold Harbor. Union general John Gibbon wrote, “A few hours were all that was necessary to render any position so strong by breastworks that the opposite party was unable to carry it and it became a recognized fact amongst the men themselves that when the enemy had occupied a position six or eight hours ahead of us, it was useless to attempt to take it.”

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° 35.079′ N, 77° 16.75′ W. Marker is near Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. It 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.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont,

in Central Virginia,

and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Misery In The Trenches (within shouting distance

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of this marker); The Deadly Work of Sharpshooters (within shouting distance of this marker); A Well Preserved Union Artillery Position (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Federal Artillery Battery (about 500 feet away); The Bloody Eighth (about 600 feet away); Scars of Conflict (about 600 feet away); Preparation For Battle (about 800 feet away); The Battle of Gaines’ Mill - 1862 (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

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 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.)

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

2. Digging In Marker

Digging In Marker behind Union entrenchments. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009

3. Digging In Marker behind Union entrenchments.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, December 27, 2025

4. Digging In Marker

Same location, same text as the original, but larger.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,158 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 12, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 2, 3. submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on April 12, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.