Most Endangered Battlefields 2008
Cold Harbor, Va.
May 31-June 12, 1864
The final infantry battle of the 1864 Overland Campaign saw a heavily entrenched Confederate force repulse repeated attacks from a Union army nearly twice its size in one of the war’s most lopsided victories. Fought on ground that partially overlapped with the 1862 Gaines’ Mill battlefield, Cold Harbor afforded soldiers the unique horror of uncovering skeletal remains from the earlier engagement while constructing their fortifications.
Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, commanding Union forces, later remarked that he regretted the final assault at Cold Harbor was ever made, as no gain was made as a result of the wholesale slaughter of his men — who suffered a casualty rate more than four times greater than the far smaller Confederate force. Worse, many of the federal soldiers assaulting the southern defenses were from heavy artillery regiments with little or no infantry training and just recently reassigned from their previous posts defending Washington and Baltimore.
Threat
Development pressure in the Richmond area is so great that only about 300 acres of what was once at least a 7,500-acre battlefield are currently preserved. In March 2007 the Hanover County Board of Supervisors approved a new edition of its Comprehensive Plan that, while it does contain innovative pro-conservation language, also increases the threat to the Cold Harbor Battlefield.
Specifically, the Plan redesignates land on the northern portion of the battlefield, where little has been protected to date, from “Suburban Transitional” to “Suburban General.” Though seemingly minor, this change doubled the housing density allowable in the area, which will further encourage development and increase the cost of preserving land. Some of the land impacted lies within the authorized boundary of Richmond National Battlefield, demonstrating its historical significance and making it eligible for inclusion in the National Park System.
CWSAC classified Cold Harbor as a Priority I, Class A battlefield — its highest designation.
Resources for Cold Harbor
- Richmond National Battlefield Park
- Richmond Battlefields Association
- CWSAC Battle Summary of Cold Harbor
- View CWPT's photos of Cold Harbor
MOST ENDANGERED BATTLEFIELDS:
Cold Harbor, Virginia
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