From Farmland to Forest

By 1864, much of the Cold Harbor area was cleared farmland, and one Federal believed this openness was the greatest part of the misery there. Deadly fire from Confederate sharpshooters prevented Union soldiers from moving freely behind the lines, and as one veteran observed, there was no cover from enemy fire except in the trench itself. To move safely between front and rear, Union troops constructed six parallel lines of breastworks, including the 4th and 5th lines of works here.

Highland Springs, Virginia · United States