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 is 500 yards east of here.
Both sides were sensitive to the presence of Bloody Run, which flows just to your right. Grant’s infantry had used the ravine to drive a temporary wedge into the advanced Confederate lines east of here on June 1. Notice that Lee’s men built some of their positions to face south and cover the ravine, undoubtedly in response to what had happened earlier.
Please do your part to insure the continued preservation of these resources by not walking or climbing on the earthworks.
Marker can be reached from the intersection of Anderson-Wright Drive and Cold Harbor Road (Virginia Route 156).
Courtesy hmdb.org
