The Battle of Cold Harbor was a long one – it lasted from May 31 to June 12, 1864. Cold Harbor is located in central Virginia. The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought between the Federal Army of the Potomac under Major General George Meade and directly supervised by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of all Union forces, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. The Battle of Cold Harbor claimed nearly 5,000 lives. Sneden, Robert Knox, 1832-1918. The Battle of Cold Harbor was one of the most important battles in the later stages of the American Civil War in the Eastern Theater of operations. On May 31, Lee moved his headquarters from the Clarke house to Shady Grove Church so as to be closer to his army's right wing, where the next bout of combat seemed imminent. The Battle of Cold Harbor was a Confederate victory in June 1864. After fighting inconclusively along Totopotomoy Creek, Grant ordered Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's cavalry to move south and capture the strategic crossroads at Old Cold Harbor. After a short battle, Union cavalry drove the Confederates beyond the crossroads. Who fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor? The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought in two parts with 2 years in between each battle. The battle was fought in central Virginia over the same ground as the Battle of Gaines' Mill during the Seven Days Battles of 1862.In fact, some accounts refer to the 1862 battle as the First Battle of Cold Harbor, and the 1864 battle as the Second Battle of Cold Harbor. On this day, Union General Ulysses S. Grant makes what he later recognizes to be his greatest mistake by ordering a frontal assault on entrenched Confederates at Cold Harbor… The Battle of Cold Harbor in early June, 1864 was one battle in the so-called "Overland Campaign". The Battle of Cold Harbor was one of the bloodiest military engagements of the American Civil War. It was fought on June 3rd, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Virginia, northeast of Richmond. On June 27th, 1862, Gaines Mill, was the first battle in the Cold Harbor conflict. The Battle occurred just 10 miles North of the Confederate Capitol of Richmond Virginia. Battle of Cold Harbor. Perhaps the land on which it occurred was just destined to claim lives – in 1862, another skirmish of similar intensity, the Battle of Gaines’s Mill, took place on the site. Learn More About Cold Harbor . Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade were the leaders of Union Army. The Battle of Cold Harbor was a sharp defeat for the Union and a blow to Northern morale, but Grant was not ready to give up. Fought in central Virginia from May 31 to June 12, 1864, the battle was part of Union general Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign, which was intended to take the Confederate capital of Richmond. Pearl Harbor is a natural deepwater naval port on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, located just west of Honolulu. The Rebels then started digging new positions a half mile to the southwest. Securing Old Cold Harbor remained his priority. Who fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor? The Battle of Cold Harbor in June of 1864 was Robert E. Lee’s last great victory of the Civil War. Location. The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3.It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles. The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles. Home › Learn › Videos › The Battle of Cold Harbor. JUNE 1 Lee wished to retake Old Cold Harbor and sent Major General Joseph Kershaw's division to join Hoke in a morning assault. It … Civil War Trust, 2014. Roads emanating through this critical junction led to Richmond as … Today it is known as one of the bloodiest engagements of the American civil war. Cold Harbor – Facts And Resources. As a result, the 1862 battle is sometimes referred to as the First Battle of Cold Harbor, and the 1864 battle as the Second Battle of Cold Harbor. In 1862, the Battle of Gaines' Mill was fought on the same ground during the Seven Days Battles. The Battle of Cold Harbor : MAY 31: THE ARMIES CONCENTRATE TOWARD OLD COLD HARBOR. Outnumbered almost two to one, his entrenched veterans caused massive losses in Grant’s army. About This Quiz & Worksheet. At dawn June 3, the II and XVIII Corps, followed later by the IX Corps, assaulted along the Bethesda Church-Cold Harbor line and were slaughtered at all points.