Battle of Cold Harbor 1864

An audio visual presentation at Cold Harbor showing the assault on Richmond and in particular the events of early June 1864 as Lee defended Richmond, Virginia from Grant and Meade. The ill judged assault at Old Cold Harbor led to 7,000 Union casualties.

• Category

  Education

[Vercingetorix butthole]

Both sides had some of the worst commanders. The things both armies went through show amazing courage of both sides soldiers. I meant no disrespect to the brave union soldiers, I meant to say that the South had a great fighting spirit (though so did the north)

[JMAZZ80]

Better soldiers? Tell that to the men in the Irish Brigade, Eastern and Western Iron Brigades, the Vermont Brigade, the New Jersey Brigade and the Gibraltar Brigade. Tell it to the men from the 5th and 9th New York Zouaves and the men of the Irish Rifles and Garibaldi Guard. To the men of the 5th New Hampshire, 20th Massachusetts, 5th Wisconsin, 1st Minnesota and the 7th Michigan.

You can fault the incompetent Union commanders, but don't ever say there were any troops better than them.

[Pencil guy Jim G]

The Northern Spin doctors...

[Imachowderhead]

Official record of whom?

[Pencil guy Jim G]

The Union POW casualties are not in the Official record.

[Imachowderhead]

Well Grant lied about his casualty count @ Cold Harbor. I have been going to this battlefield for many years and have read many books on it and its fair to say these numbers are pretty close.

[Pencil guy Jim G]

It wouldn't surprise me if after the war the numbers were doctored for propaganda purposes... The victor always writes the history...

[Imachowderhead]

I can imagine what my GG Grandad saw here as a color sgt for the 31st NC....

[Imachowderhead]

National archives has the casualties for the Union at 12,737 and Confederate 4,595.

[timenyart]

Invading the North twice, was what did it in for the Confederacy, that and the lack of troops and quality Generals in the west which allowed the capture of Vicksburg, also cost the confederacy the war