Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Cold Harbor: The Early Actions
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 21, 2015
1. Cold Harbor: The Early Actions Marker
Inscription.
Cold Harbor: The Early Actions. . On May, 31, 1864, while the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia fought along Totopotomoy Creek, four miles to the north, Federal and Confederate cavalry gravitated toward the Old Cold Harbor crossroads. Following their victory along Matadequin Creek the previous day, the Federal troopers of Gen. Alfred T. A. Torbert’s division pushed toward the important intersection from the east. Finding Old Cold Harbor defended by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry division, plus elements of Gen. Thomas Clingman’s infantry brigade, Torbert’s men attacked and captured the intersection. With the crossroads in Federal hands, and reinforcements for both sides on the way, the fighting at Cold Harbor had just begun., This section of the battlefield saw significant fighting on May 31, 1864, and for several days afterward. Confederate and Federal attacks took place over this ground on June 1, as both sides fought to gain advantage at Cold Harbor. On June 3, Federal soldiers of the 18th Corps pushed off from here in Gen. Grant’s effort to break the Confederate line. Behind you is modern Beulah Church, rebuilt to replace the wartime structure that burned during the battle., (caption) , Hand-to-hand fighting at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864, was just one of many very compelling moments in the famous battle.
On May, 31, 1864, while the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia fought along Totopotomoy Creek, four miles to the north, Federal and Confederate cavalry gravitated toward the Old Cold Harbor crossroads. Following their victory along Matadequin Creek the previous day, the Federal troopers of Gen. Alfred T. A. Torbert’s division pushed toward the important intersection from the east. Finding Old Cold Harbor defended by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry division, plus elements of Gen. Thomas Clingman’s infantry brigade, Torbert’s men attacked and captured the intersection. With the crossroads in Federal hands, and reinforcements for both sides on the way, the fighting at Cold Harbor had just begun.
This section of the battlefield saw significant fighting on May 31, 1864, and for several days afterward. Confederate and Federal attacks took place over this ground on June 1, as both sides fought to gain advantage at Cold Harbor. On June 3, Federal soldiers of the 18th Corps pushed off from here in Gen. Grant’s effort to break the Confederate line. Behind you is modern Beulah Church, rebuilt to replace the wartime structure that burned during the battle.
(caption)
Hand-to-hand fighting at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864, was just one of many very compelling moments in the
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famous battle.
Erected 2015 by Richmond National Battlefield Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is May 31, 1864.
Location. 37° 35.958′ N, 77° 16.752′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. Marker is at the intersection of Beulah Church Road (Virginia Route 633) and Glenharbor Lane, on the left when traveling north on Beulah Church Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mechanicsville VA 23111, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 469 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 22, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.