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

Battle of Totopotomoy Creek

May 30 - June 1, 1864

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 23, 2013

1. Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Marker

Inscription. Fighting occurred here and elsewhere around the Polegreen Church as part of the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek, spanning three days from May 30 to June 1, 1864. This ground lay between the opposing lines, and witnessed the ebbs and flows of fierce and constant skirmishing. Wounded a year earlier while resisting Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, Brigadier General John Gibbon led the 2nd Division of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock's II Corps in the fighting here. The Confederates probably belonged to two veteran divisions led by major generals Charles W. Field and Henry Heth. Some historians consider the fighting in this area to be a part of the renowned Battle of Cold Harbor because the balance of both armies had moved to Cold Harbor by June 1, leaving these troops as the northernmost anchors of the respective lines that stretched all the way beyond Cold Harbor.

In 2013, this two-acre property was preserved with the assistance of the Civil War Trust, and jointly financed with the support of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation with a matching Federal grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, administered

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by the National Park Service.

Erected 2013 by Historic Polegreen Church Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1859.

Location. 37° 38.756′ N, 77° 19.748′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. It is on Heatherwood Drive (Virginia Route 1750) 0.1 miles east of Rural Point Road ( Route 643), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6404 Heatherwood Dr, Mechanicsville VA 23116, 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,

specifically in the Upper South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 23, 2013

2. Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Marker

The house will eventually be removed.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Polegreen Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Polegreen Story (about 300 feet away); Welcome to Historic Polegreen Church (about 300 feet away); Polegreen Church (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Polegreen Church (about 500 feet away); Site of Polegreen (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Polegreen Church (about 500 feet away); The Reading Room (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

Also see . . .
1. Historic Polegreen Church Foundation. (Submitted on October 23, 2013.)
2. Civil War Trust. (Submitted on October 23, 2013.)

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, December 27, 2025

3. Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Marker

House has been removed.

View towards Rural Point Road (facing west) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 23, 2013

4. View towards Rural Point Road (facing west)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,153 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 23, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on April 5, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on October 23, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.