Cold Harbor, battle of
In 1862 the Army of the Potomac and a large part of the Army of the James formed a junction near Cold Harbor, a locality in
Hanover county,
Va., originally known as Cool Arbor, and the old battle-ground of
McClellan and
Lee the year before.
Gen. W. F. Smith and 16,000 men of the Army of the James had been taken in transports from
Bermuda Hundred around to the
White House, whence they had marched towards the
Chickahominy.
Sheridan had seized the point at Cold Harbor, and the Nationals took a position extending from beyond the
Hanover road to Elder Swamp Creek, not far from the
Chickahominy.
Burnside's corps composed the right of the line,
Warren's and
Wright's the centre, and
Hancock's the left.
The Confederate line, reinforced by troops under
Breckinridge, occupied a line in front of the Nationals-
Ewell's corps on the left,
Longstreet's in the centre, and
A. P. Hill's on the right.
On the morning of June 1, 1862,
Hoke's division attempted to retake Cold Harbor.
It was repulsed, but was reinforced by
McLaws's division.
Wright's 6th Corps came up in time to meet this new danger: and
Smith's troops from the Army of the James, after a march of 25 miles, came up and took post on the right of the 6th Corps, then in front of Cold Harbor, on the road leading to Gaines's Mills.
Between the two armies was a broad, open, undulating field and a thin line of woods.
Over this field the Nationals advanced to the attack at 4 P. M. The veterans of
[
234]
Smith soon captured the first line of riflepits and 600 men. Their attack on the second line was a failure, and with darkness the struggle ceased, the Nationals having lost 2,000 men. They held the ground, and bivouacked on the battlefield.
During the night the
Confederates made desperate but unsuccessful efforts to
 |
|
Battle of cold Harbor. |
retake the rifle-pits.
General Grant had ordered a redisposition of his army, making
Hancock form the right, to the right of
Wright's corps.
Burnside was withdrawn entirely from the front and placed on the right and rear of
Warren, who connected with
Smith.
Having made these dispositions on the 2d, it was determined to force the passage of the
Chickahominy the next morning, and compel
Lee to seek safety in the fortifications around
Richmond.
The
Nationals moved at four o'clock on the morning of the 3d.
Wilson's cavalry was on the right flank, and
Sheridan's held the lower crossings of the river, and covered the roads to the
White House.
Orders had been given for a general assault along the whole line.
At half-past 4, or a little later, the signal for the advance was given, and then opened one of the most sanguinary battles of the war. It was begun on the right by the divisions of
Barlow and
Gibbon, of
Hancock's corps, supported by
Birney's.
Barlow drove the
Confederates from a strong position in front of their works, and captured several hundred men and three guns, when the
Confederates rallied and retook the position.
General Gibbon, who charged at the same time, was checked by a marsh of the
Chickahominy which partly separated and weakened his command, and part of them gained the
Confederate works, but could not hold them.
There was a severe struggle, and in the assaults
Hancock lost 3,000 men. The other divisions of the army were hotly engaged at the same time.
The battle was “sharp, quick, and decisive.”
The
Nationals were repulsed at nearly every point with great slaughter.
It was estimated that within the space of twenty minutes after the struggle began 10,000 Union soldiers lay dead or wounded on the field, while the
Confederates, sheltered by their works, had not lost more than 1,000.
And so, at one o'clock in the afternoon of June 3, 1864, the
battle of Cold Harbor ended.
[
235]
It was one of the most sanguinary struggles of the great
Civil War. The
Nationals had a fearful loss of life, but firmly held their position, with all their munitions of war. Their loss in this engagement, and in the immediate vicinity of Cold Harbor, was reported at 13,153, of whom 1,705 were killed and 2,406 were missing.
Immediately after the battle
Sheridan was sent to destroy the railways in
Lee's rear, and so make
Washington more secure.
This task he effectually performed, fighting much of the time.
Grant then resolved to transfer his army to the south side of the
James River.
