“We are on the famous peninsula once more.  The place we occupy is near Cold Harbor, and about ten miles from Richmond.  Gaines’ Mill, where the memorable battle of June 27^th, 1862, was fought, is about two miles from here, and within the rebel lines.  It is hoped that the old programme of ’62 is not to be enacted over again, with the same result.  Both armies have become inured to war since then, and bloodier consequences would follow any such result now.  It will be hard work for either army to destroy the other by fighting.  It would suit me much better to have Grant capture Richmond by some prodigious display of strategy.  Another of his flank movements may bring us a little nearer the rebel city…It is beyond me to tell how the remainder of the distance will be accomplished.  That another such flank movement may soon be made begins to be evident…that we are going to evacuate here and go somewhere else – probably to the left again.”- Wilbur Fisk

Wilbur Fisk penned the words above on June 11^th, 1864, a little over 5 weeks after he and the Second Vermont stepped off with the rest of the Army of the Potomac into what would become known as the Overland Campaign.  From the Wilderness, to Spotsylvania Courthouse, the North Anna River, Totopotomy Creek, and then to Cold Harbor, the Federals hammered away unrelentingly in an attempt wear down the Confederate army and bring about an end to continued military resistance.  Continued flanking movements to the left had brought the Federal army to within 10 miles of the Confederate capital, but at a very high price of over 50,000 casualties. 

On June 11-13, 2004, the SGLHA will present an interpretive program at Richmond National Battlefield Park’s Cold Harbor unit on the 140^th anniversary of Grant’s withdrawal from Cold Harbor and the eventual crossing of the James River to Petersburg.  Our program will focus on “Life in the Trenches” as we will portray the Second Vermont Volunteer Infantry and will incorporate firing demonstrations, skirmishing, and the overall changing nature of tactics.