Cold Harbor - June 7, 1864

American Battlefield Trust’s map of the Battle of Cold Harbor

Grant shortened his lines the day after the June 3 assault, but both sides remained mostly in position for the next nine days. Some men were pinned between the lines, barely yards from the enemy. Sharpshooters picked off scores of unlucky survivors of the carnage, and artillery batteries traded long range fire. On June 7, four days after the heaviest fighting, Lee and Grant agreed to a two-hour truce to allow the Federals a chance to retrieve their wounded. However, by then few of the wounded were found alive as thousands had died under the summer sun.

Learn More: The Battle of Cold Harbor