Near Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Battle Opens
Cold Harbor Battlefield Park Walking Trail
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009
1. The Battle Opens Marker
By mid-afternoon on June 1, 1864, Ulysses S. Grant massed 45,000 Federals near Old Cold Harbor, 800 yards east of here. At 5:00 p.m. he ordered an attack, hoping to split Lee’s army into two parts. Six veteran New Jersey regiments under Colonel William H. Penrose crossed this ground and passed the nearby Garthright House. At first a “death-dealing artillery fire” raked the Federals, then blasts of Confederate musketry. The Federal attack stalled after an advance of more than a half mile. Penrose’s men quickly started digging a line of works 400 yards in front of you; for the remainder of the battle that would be the Union front line.
Killed in this bloody attack was Sergeant-Major A. Vorhes Wyckoff of the 15th New Jersey. Shot through the head, he died the next morning and was buried in the yard of the Garthright house. Today he rests across the road in the Cold Harbor National Cemetery.
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 month for this entry is June 1864.
Location. 37° 35.305′ N, 77° 16.642′ W. Marker is near Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. Marker can be reached from Cold Harbor Road (Virginia Route 156)
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Cold Harbor Battlefield Walking Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); Cold Harbor: June 2, 1864 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); From Farmland to Forest (about 300 feet away); Garthright House (about 300 feet away); Union Reserve Line (about 400 feet away); The Family Cemetery (about 400 feet away); Preparation For Battle (about 700 feet away); A Dreadful Harvest (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.
More about this marker. On the lower left is a photo of "Sergeant-Major A. Vorhes Wyckoff". On the left is a wartime sketch of the Union assault. The sketch carries the caption, "The initial Union assault moved past the Garthright House, June 1, 1864."
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.)
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, February 15, 2009
2. The Battle Opens Marker along the trail.
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 April 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,375 times since then and 20 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.
