Richmond National Battlefield park. Id like to take just a moment to introduce to you all tonight, our participants in this evens program. Dr. James i. Robertson, paul levengood, david adams, a close personal friend and steward of a large portion of the cold harbor battlefield. Our readers, ashley and michael, and i want to send a special thanks to our chorus from the lee davis high school. Thank you all very much for being with us in this program tonight. [ applause ] for the last week and a half, many of you have followed in the foot steps of union and confederate armies across the north anna and the pom onky rivers, to potmy creek, Bethesda Church and near here at the cold harbor across roads. Tonight, we will pause to ponder the significance of these stories and what they meant to the veterans of both armies and generations of americans who came after. As we do that, we need to acknowledge the hard work of so many who joined with us in remembering and commemorating this unforgettab
Beneath to United States. The civil war did not permanently shatter you are nag nation. Yet it was a supreme test for a country that now stands in blessed unit, you are north and south. You are here together tonight here is evening we look back with learn from the greatest teacher anyone can have, history. Armed with an understanding of the time. Private maddux would like that. Thank you. [ applause ] the Overland Campaign was the largest and the bloodiest campaign of the entire civil war. Both armies lost half of their original fighting forces. The casualties were astounding. Astounding to soldiers, to generals, and to those left back home. Amid the staggering losses sustained at cold harbor and during the Overland Campaign, for every soldier killed, wounded or captures there was a family. Mother, brother, brother, sister, that also felt the loss on the fields of 1864 reverberated through communities across the north and south. The empty chairs at kitchen tables across the country and
Can take petersburg, cut the supply line to the army in Northern Virginia, and finally defeat lee. The union plan works like clock work. Sheridan heads off on his raid. It will end disastrously at the battle of torrian station, but it serves its purpose for the time. And on the morning of the 13th of june, lee and his men look across and discover that the union earth works are empty. Grant once again has managed to pull his army away without lee figuring out what had happened. The union army swings south, down to the james river. Grant intends to cross. But lee does not understand what grant means to do. Lee thinks that what grant might be preparing to do is to swing back toward Richmond North of the james river. So lee stays here at cold harbor, sends some of his soldiers to the south, but doesnt do a major shift, because, again, hes uncertain as to what grant will do. Well, as you civil war historians know, by june 15th, union forces are attacking at petersburg. Lee is now alerted to