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Sheridan (Union general) calvary gained control of the crossroads of Cold Harbor, which was 10 miles away from Richmond, Virgina which is the confedrate's capital. They were holding control waiting for infantry to come.
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Who? Union armry lead by Grant, Confederate armry led by Lee
What? battle over cold harbor key interetion with train tracks
When? may 31-june 12, 1864
Where? Cold Harbor, Virgina -
On the morning of June 1st, Sheridan’s troops threw back an attack by Confederate infantry, Confederate reinforcements arrived.
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Late June 1st the Union troops reached Cold Harbor and assaulted the Confederate works.
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Both armies were on the field, forming on a seven-mile front.
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4:20 A.M the union starts a charge on the confederates line, they run into a spray of confederate fire. Troops fell by the hundreds their goal was proven to be hopeless but the soilders stayed on the field, for the next 9 hours the fireing contuined until grant gave the order to stop. 7,000 Union troops were wounded or killed.
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Fighting contuined through out the next nine days you couldnt even stick your head above the trenches without being shot.
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Grant began to write to Lee to negotiate a truce to retrieve the wounded and dying from between the lines.
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a two-hour flag of truce was raised, but by then few of the wounded were found alive.
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Grant dispatched his cavalry under Sheridan to destroy the Virginia Central Railroad. he also planned a operation to withdraw from Lee's front and move across the James River on june 12
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as the union went to cross the James river to get away from lee's army, lee sent his calvary in pursuit of them but despite knowing of this lee was still caught by surprise that he had retreated across the river
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The battle eneded with a confedrate win under Lee. the Union lost 10,000 to 13,000 men in 12 days. Lee had gained a rep as a murder for slautering so many men
