On June 1, 1864, Grant’s forces moved south to the Cold Harbor area of Virginia and found Confederate forces had once again beaten them into position. For the next three days Union and Confederate forces maneuvered for position. Despite the Union’s numerical superiority, Lee had received reinforcements from the Shenandoah Valley and southern Virginia; he used these troops well, entrenching his Army of Northern Virginia. Grant intended to assault the Confederate line on June 2, but logistical problems forced a delay until the morning of June 3. Knowing that many would die the next day in a frontal assault against entrenched Confederate forces, veteran Union troops fashioned crude “dog tags” or sewed their names onto their uniforms so that their bodies could be properly identified and buried after their deaths.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.