Confederate Breastworks

This remarkably preserved stretch of the main Confederate line saw little action. Although the land here was much less wooded in 1864, its occupants appreciated the partial shelter offered by the low ground. The soldiers took advantage of it to erect some of the strongest positions to be seen anywhere on the battlefield. The Union front line was 500 yards east of here. Both sides were sensitive to the presence of Bloody Run, which flowed just to the right. Grant’s infantry had used the ravine to drive a temporary wedge into the advanced Confederate lines east of here on June 1. Lee’s men built some of their positions to face south and cover the ravine, undoubtedly in response to what had happened earlier.

Mechanicsville, Virginia · United States