Near Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Killing Fields
John L. Piper, 12th New Hampshire Infantry
At first light on June 3, 1864, over half of the Army of the Potomac rushed forward across a wide front. Theirs was a high stakes gamble. The risk: a frontal attack against well-fortified Confederate defenders. The reward: the prospect of driving Robert E. Lee’s army into the Chickahominy River. On the Confederate and your right, a brief Union breakthrough produced hand-to-hand fighting. In the center, the attackers barely left the cover of their trees. On the left, brave Federal soldiers charged across open ground, only to fall by the hundreds. The Confederate line stood unbroken and remained intact until June 12, when the Union army slipped away. Cold Harbor produced numbing casualty figures: 13,000 for the Federals and approximately 5,000 for the Confederates during the two weeks of combat.
Erected 2010 by Richmond National Battlefield Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1859.
Location. 37° 35.129′ N, 77° 17.218′ W. Marker is near Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. Marker is on Anderson-Wright Drive near Cold Harbor Road (Virginia Route 156). This marker is located at the Visitor Center of the Cold Harbor Battlefield Unit of the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5515 Anderson-Wright Drive, 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. Cold Harbor (a few steps from this marker); We Must Hold This Line (within shouting distance of this marker); Read's Battalion (within shouting distance of this marker); Walk in the Footsteps of History (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Cold Harbor (within shouting distance of this marker); The Ultimate Sacrifice (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Nowhere To Go (approx. 0.2 miles away); Those People Stand No Chance (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.
Also see . . .
1. Richmond National Battlefield Park. (Submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
2. Cold Harbor. Civil War Preservation Trust (Submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 19, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,048 times since then and 27 times this year. Last updated on January 1, 2022, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 19, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.