On the morning of June 1, 1864, General Lee, anxious to regain control of the Old Cold Harbor Crossroads, ordered two Confederate infantry divisions to attack the outnumbered Union cavalry troopers defending the intersection. Colonel Laurence M. Keitt, a signer of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession, played a critical role in the attack. His regiment, the 20th South Carolina Infantry, had joined Lee’s army the previous day and was placed in Col. John W. Henagan’s Brigade. Though inexperienced at handling troops in the field, Keitt outranked Henagan and assumed command of the brigade. Leading the attack, Keitt moved his men from right to left across the ground toward dismounted Union troopers, many armed with repeating carbines and fighting behind breastworks. Captain Theophilus F. Rodenbough of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry said that the whole thing was over in less than five minutes. The attack failed miserably, and Keitt was mortally wounded. Federal infantry soon arrived to relieve the cavalrymen, and the next move was left to Grant. The Old Cold Harbor crossroads, the objective of the attack, took its name from the tavern at the southeastern corner of the intersection.
