The Union Left Flank
This loop trail visits the left of the Union line. Along it you will learn about the charge of General Pickett’s Confederate brigade; see more of the ground stubbornly defended by General Morell’s division; learn of the bravery displayed by an Alabama flag-bearer; and read the stories of Federal soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for outstanding heroism at Gaines’ Mill. The final markers discuss the collapse of the Union position; the ill-advised twilight cavalry charge; and a fatal case of mistaken identity. Original rifle pits constructed by Union soldiers. survive along this trail.
Although the many signs along this walk deal with the experiences of men in both Blue and Gray, please remember that at all times you will be on ground defended by Federal infantry. The Southern soldiers, whose words you will read in the next few minutes, mostly wrote from the perspective of the other side of the creek--private property not preserved by the national park and not accessible today.
This loop is one mile long and winds back into the primary trail at the Confederate breakthrough point.
Marker can be reached from Watt House Road 0.7 miles south of Cold Harbor Road (Virginia Route 156), on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
