• Photos at Cold Harbor Battlefield
• What to know if you go

Chuck Myers/KRT (ENLARGE)

A pair of Civil War Confederate cannons sit near the start of a walking trail at the Cold Harbor National Battlefield a few miles east of Richmond.

Chuck Myers/KRT (ENLARGE)

The Garthwright House served as a Union field hospital during the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864.

Chuck Myers/KRT (ENLARGE)

Visitors walk along the one-mile road that passes several Union earthworks in this part of the battlefield park.

COLD HARBOR, Va. — Along a two-lane road that meanders east of Richmond, you still can find tracks of tranquil countryside, and pass by rivers and lazy creeks with names like Chickahominy, Powhite and Beaver Dam.

But on one particular road in this area, you'll come across something else — the scene of a nightmare that lasted between 60 and 90 minutes, and claimed the lives at least 6,000 men.

Late in the war

On May 31, 1864, an encounter between Union Gen. Philip Sheridan's cavalry and Confederate units near a five-road junction less than 10 miles from the Confederate capital, Richmond, provided the general-in-chief of the Union Army, Ulysses S. Grant, with what he deemed as an opportunity to outflank and knock out his Confederate adversary, Gen. Robert E. Lee.

As Sheridan's troops held their position, Union forces rushed to the area. Realizing the threat Grant's army suddenly posed, Lee and the Confederates reacted and did the same.

By the next day, June 1, the Battle of Cold Harbor was in full swing.

The Battle of Cold Harbor would last 12 days, and result in about 15,500 casualties. Yet it does not invoke the sense of reverence associated with other Civil War battlefields, such as Gettysburg and Shiloh. One reason for this may be that Cold Harbor was only one battle in a much larger campaign.

When President Abraham Lincoln appointed Grant to the top position in the Union army in March 1864, he believed that he had found a general who would pursue a tenacious campaign against Lee's Confederate army Virginia, and defeat it decisively. Grant didn't let Lincoln down.

Grant's campaign against Lee began near the Rapidan River west of Fredericksburg in central Virginia in early May 1864. A series of bloody yet inconclusive clashes ensued, first at the Wilderness, then Spotsylvania Court House, and later along the North Anna River.

Next up was Cold Harbor.

Where Lee and Grant clashed

Cold Harbor National Battlefield lies off of Route 156 east of Richmond, and is one of several Civil War sites that today comprise the National Park Service's Richmond National Battlefield Park.

Established as a National Park in 1936, the battlefield covers approximately 180 acres in what was once roughly the center of a seven-mile battle line that stretched from Bethesda Church in the north to the Chickahominy River in the south. Residential and commercial development has claimed much of the old battlefield north of the current park. But some tracks still remain in private hands on the southside, and the National Park Service plans to acquire 100 more acres of the former battlefield in the near future.

Seeing the site

You can explore the Cold Harbor battlefield two ways: walking or driving.

A one-way road that starts from the park's entrance loops through the area for just over a mile. If you want to get out in the fresh air, two miles of well-marked walking trails lead you through many battlefield locations inaccessible by car. Probably the best way to enjoy the area is a combination of the two.

The walking tour begins near a pair of canons representing a Confederate artillery battery outside the Cold Harbor Visitor Center. A wide path that cuts across an open field becomes a narrow grave trail as it heads into the woods where heavy fighting occurred early in the battle.

By late afternoon of June 1, enough Union forces had arrived at Cold Harbor to not only relieve Sheridan's tired cavalrymen, but also launch a counterattack.

Often on the defensive during Grant's campaign, the Confederates learned to dig strong earthwork and establish trench lines quickly. And with Richmond to their backs at Cold Harbor, the digging became even more intense.

Several of these trenches appear along the path, as well as some Union shallow earthworks.

Yankees had morale

The Unionites, by contrast, were more accustomed to open assault and less disposed to trench warfare. Although they had suffered high casualties at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania weeks earlier, many of the Union soldiers at Cold Harbor maintained a strong sense of purpose. This stemmed in no small part from their new commander.

"A lot of the (Union) guys that went in to the battle at that point knew they had a job to do," says Ronald S. Coddington, author of "Faces of the Civil War," which richly details the experience of common Union soldiers during the conflict. "They were also coming under the influence of Grant's leadership, and they were buoyed by what had happened in the last month.

"They had been through so much. And they had moved in to some serious Southern territory, moving towards Richmond. The momentum was with them."

The trail winds through a ravine area where the Union attacked a gap in the Confederate line. The assault took place at 5 p.m. on June 1, but only achieved marginal success, and didn't break the Confederates' position.

Where smoke and gunpowder once choked the air, the scent of pine and wildflowers now linger in this section of the park. Union and Confederate sharpshooter pits shrouded by vegetation along the path produce a sense of the deadly intimate combat that also occurred at Cold Harbor.

Taking the trail

The trail ends when it reaches a creek called "Bloody Run," site of violent hand-to-hand combat, and meets the park's paved road.

At this point, you can either cross the road and pick up the trail that runs near a line of Confederate trenches or take the short walk back to the parking area and start the driving tour. But if your feet still feel good, you turn right on the road here and continue on foot and head toward the Confederate and Union positions on June 3.

Grant initially planned a big attack for June 2. But he decided to wait a day, and give his troops more time to rest and prepare.

The Cold Harbor battlefield drive features three pull-offs, including one at a series of remarkably well-preserved, yet fragile Confederate earthworks that roll like soft sea swells over the ground. The second pull-off is over by the Union position.

In many places, Union and Confederate trenches sit only a few hundred yards apart, often close enough for soldiers on each side to hear what was going on in the opposing position. This had a telling effect on Union morale.

"They could hear the Confederate officers giving commands during the night, getting things set up," says Coddington, who visits Civil War battlefields regularly. "They could see the campfires burning. "They're right there. And from what I gather, it made them stronger. Because the anxiety is building. The anticipation is building. And at some point they want to do it ... They want that order to attack."

... in case of death

Still, the Union soldiers had no illusion about the pending assault.

Many pinned or sewed paper with their names to their uniforms for identification in the event they fell during the battle.

In the pre-dawn of June 3, approximately 50,000 Union soldiers in five corps under the field command of Maj. Gen. George Meade emerged from their positions along the seven-mile front, and moved toward 30,000 Confederate troops hunkered down behind their earthworks.

Union soldiers from the XVIII Corps and VI Corps participated in the battle at the Cold Harbor National Battlefield, crossing the park's wooded northern and middle sections, and the large open field by the Visitor Center.

The pull-off on the Union side offers a sweeping view of this area of the attack. Pine trees pepper the landscape as it slopes up gently toward the Confederate positions. It's not difficult to imagine the courage and sheer physical stamina required during the crossing, especially under heavy fire.

The Union attack was a disaster. Confederate artillery and infantry rifle volleys tore apart the Union ranks, and stifled the advance. Grant leaned of heavy Union losses at his headquarters two miles away at the Kelly Farm, and called off the assault shortly after it started.

Some accounts of the June 3 battle note that 6,000 to 7,000 Union soldiers were killed in just 90 minutes; others say that the bloodletting took place in less than one hour. Either way, the casualty figure is staggering for such a short period. The Confederates suffered losses too, with 1,500 killed. But they had held their ground, and forced the Union troops to retreat to their start position.

As the road heads toward an exit on Route 156, the final pull-off brings you to a monument honoring the Connecticut 2nd Volunteer Heavy Artillery, which suffered heavy casualties during the June 1 fight.

Some of the Union dead found a final resting place at the Veteran Administration's Cold Harbor National Cemetery, a short distance from the battlefield on Route 156. A bit further down the road lies the historic Garthwright House, which served as a hospital for Union during the battle.

The Garthwright family took refuge in their basement as the battle raged.

The Garthwright House is located on two acres of National Park land. A walking trail in the woods behind the house leads past more Union earthworks and artillery positions on 50 acres of Hanover County public property.

Following the June 3 attack, the military situation stagnated at Cold Harbor for nine days. Minor skirmishing continued, but the large assaults were over. The estimated total casualties for the Battle of Cold Harbor numbered around 15,500 — with at least 13,000 on the Union side.

Grant's regret

"Technically, Cold Harbor is a Southern victory, and should be counted as such — as a battle," notes Coddington. "As part of a campaign, it did not stop the Union army from continuing on. It slowed things down a bit, which ultimately bought Lee and his army more time. But it's really just that."

Although Lee beat back Grant at Cold Harbor, the battle contributed to a attrition problem for the South. Replacements for the Confederate dead and wounded had simply started to run out. As a result, Cold Harbor proved Lee's last major victory of the Civil War.

Undaunted by the Union losses at Cold Harbor, Grant pressed on with the campaign.

On June 12, the Union army moved south across the James River and on to Petersburg. But rather than continue with a strategy of maneuver, Grant laid siege to the city and its Confederate defenders for nearly nine months.

Battered and exhausted, Lee and what remained of his army surrendered to Grant at Appomattox in April 1865.

Years after the war, though, Grant still held deep reservations about ordering the June 3 attack at Cold Harbor.

He later wrote in his memoir, "I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made. ... At Cold Harbor no advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained. Indeed, the advantages, other than those of relative losses, were on the Confederate side."

COLD HARBOR AT A GLANCE

• Other names: Second Cold Harbor

• Location: Hanover County, Va., approximately 7-8 miles east of Richmond

• Campaign: Grant9s Overland Campaign (May-June 1864)

• Battle dates: May 31-June 12, 1864

• Main combat: June 1-3, 1864

• Commanders: Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade; Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee

• Forces engaged: 170,000 total (Union, 108,000; Confederate, 62,000)

• Estimated casualties: 15,500 total (Union, 13,000; Confederate, 2,500)

(Source: National Park Service)

IF YOU GO:

The Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center is located approximately 8 miles east of Richmond, Va. Take Highway 95 to Highway 295 and get off at Exit 31 (east) or Exit 34 (east). From Exit 31, follow Route 156 for about five miles until you reach the Cold Harbor crossroads. Turn left and head west on Route 156. Along the way, you'll pass the Garthwright House and the Cold Harbor National Cemetery. From Exit 34, follow Route 156 for approximately 3 miles to the Cold Harbor battlefield entrance.

PARK HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TELEPHONE: (804) 226-1981 National Park Service

WEB SITE: www.nps.gov/rich/ri_cold.htm

EVENTS: Echoes of the past will come to life again at the Cold Harbor battlefield park on June 3-4, when the National Park Service holds its annual series of events that commemorate the 1864 battle.

The activities begin at 10 a.m. and run throughout the day. Daytime events include artillery and rifle fire demonstrations conducted by volunteers in Union and Confederate uniforms, living history encampments and live performances of period music.

The day concludes with a popular candlelight walking tour of the battlefield. Volunteer guides lead groups of 40-50 people along the one-mile road that runs through the park. The tour begins around 8:30 p.m.

Limited parking is available at the Cold Harbor battlefield.