Battle of Cold Harbor

Background. The Overland Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864. Grant sought to defeat Lee's army by placing forces between Lee and Richmond. The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864. It occurred on the same ground as the Battle of Gaines's Mill during the Seven Days Battles of 1862, which some accounts refer to as the First Battle of Cold Harbor.

Political Context. Southerners hoped that Lee's stubborn and bloody resistance at Cold Harbor would have political repercussions. They believed this resistance might cause President Abraham Lincoln to lose the 1864 presidential election to a more peace-friendly candidate. This hope persisted despite the realization that their military situation was desperate.

Command Structure. In March 1864, Grant was summoned from the Western Theater and promoted to lieutenant general, receiving command of all Union armies. This promotion followed his successful Vicksburg campaign in 1863, which gave Union forces control of the Mississippi River. Grant led the army to victory in 1865, ending the war.