Battle of Cold Harbor

 

Abraham Lincoln

Short Summary of the Battle of Cold Harbor
Short Summary: The Battle of Cold Harbor, also known as the Second Cold Harbor,
was fought on May 31, 1864 - June 12, 1864 by the Union forces led by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade against the Confederate Army led by General Robert E. Lee. This famous Civil War battle was fought between 108,000 Union soldiers and 59,000 Confederate troops. At the end of two weeks battle the Union losses were over 12,000 and the Confederate losses amounted to over 5,000,  it was a victory for the Confederacy.

Second Battle of Cold Harbor
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th American President who served in office from March 4, 1861 to April 15, 1865. One of the major battlefields in the Civil War during his presidency was the catastrophic Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia.

     

Facts about the Battle of Cold Harbor
The main battles of the Civil War were
divided into two principal theaters in which the major military operations took place. The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought in Virginia in the Eastern theater.

  • The Eastern Theater that comprised of the area east of the Appalachians in the locality of the rival capitals of Washington and Richmond

Facts about the Battle of Cold Harbor
The battle of Cold Harbor was fought by the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia against the Union forces of the Army of the Potomac and the XVIII Corps also known as the Army of the James.

Civil War BattlegroundsCivil War Theater Map - Civil War Battlegrounds

Facts about the Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor started with small skirmishes between the opposing troops and gradually increased as more and more reinforcements arrived. The location of Cold Harbor was less than 10 miles away from Richmond the capital of the Confederacy. The fortified Confederate battle line eventually spread over 7 miles and developed into a battle of bloody trench warfare with the Union forces forced into making hopeless frontal assaults that resulted in massive Union losses. Thousands of Union soldiers were killed or wounded within the first hour of the attack.

Facts about the Battle of Cold Harbor: The Bloody, Brutal Battlefield
The location of the Battle of Cold Harbor was exactly the same as the First Battle of Cold Harbor in 1862 and, whilst digging their trenches, the Union soldiers discovered the gruesome remains of the soldiers that had fallen during the first conflict. The battlefield itself became a gruesome and horrific sight. Dead and wounded soldiers fell where they were hit. It was impossible to gather the dead or help the injured due to enemy fire. They had to wait until a truce was agreed in order to perform this dreadful task. It took three days for the generals to come to an agreement about a truce. The dead and dying men had been left exposed to the sweltering Southern heat of June - only a handful of casualties survived by the time the cease fire had been agreed. Most died a horrendous death suffering from from the agony of their wounds, thirst and exposure to the sun. The job was so horrendous that leaders supplied their men with a drink of alcohol to steel them for the terrible task of recovering the bloated and decaying bodies in the stench of the battlefield. The brutal Battle of Cold Harbor was General Ulysses Grant’s worst defeat of the Civil War and the Battle of Cold Harbor turned out to be the last great victory of General Robert E. Lee.

Facts about the Battle of Cold Harbor
The following short fact sheet provides interesting facts and information about the Battle of Cold Harbor, one of the major battles that was fought during the American Civil War
(April 12, 1861 and continued until May 10, 1865).

Battle of Cold Harbor: FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions for kids)

Facts for KidsQuestions and Answers
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 1Q. Where was the Battle of Cold Harbor fought?
A. The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought in Hanover County, near Mechanicsville, Virginia
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 2Q. When was the Battle of Cold Harbor fought?
It was fought
from May 31, 1864 to June 12, 1864
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 3Q. Who won the Battle of Cold Harbor?
A. The
Battle of Cold Harbor was won by the Confederacy
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 4Q. Who were the generals and leaders?
A. The Confederate general was Robert E. Lee. The Union Generals at the Battle of Cold Harbor were Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General George G. Meade
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 5Q. How many men fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor?
A. The strength of the Union force was 108,000. The number of Confederate soldiers totaled 59,000.

Battle of Cold Harbor: FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions for kids)

Battle of Cold Harbor
The info about the Battle of Cold Harbor provides interesting facts and important information about this important Civil War conflict that occured during the presidency of the 16th President of the United States of America.

 

Presidential Seal

 

Battle of Cold Harbor: FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions for kids)

Facts for KidsQuestions and Answers
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 6Q. How many Union casualties were there?
A. The total number of Union losses were 12737: Number Killed 1844, Number Wounded 9077, Number Captured / Missing 1816.
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 7Q. How many Confederate casualties were there?
A.
The total number of Confederate losses at the Battle of Cold Harbor were 5287: Number Killed 788, Number Wounded 3376, Number Captured / Missing 1123.
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 8Q. Why was the Battle of Cold Harbor important?
A. It was
strategically significant because it was intended to break the Confederate army and open the road to to the Confederacy capital of Richmond.
 
Battle of Cold Harbor Fact 9The location of the Battle of Cold Harbor was not by the sea. The term 'Harbor' refers to the old meaning of shelter due to a popular tavern that was located at the site

Battle of Cold Harbor: FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions for kids)

Battle of Cold Harbor - President Abraham Lincoln Video
The article on the Battle of Cold Harbor provides an overview of one of the major events of his presidential term in office. The following Abraham Lincoln video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 16th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1861 to April 15, 1865.

 

 

 

Battle of Cold Harbor
 
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Abraham Lincoln Presidency and Battle of Cold Harbor for schools, homework, kids and children

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