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.
Battle of Totopotomoy Creek. May 30 - June 1, 1864. 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 by the National Park Service.
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 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
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. 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. Marker is on Heatherwood Drive (Virginia Route 1750) 0.1 miles east of Rural Point Road (Virginia 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,737 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 23, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
