Every Tree in Sight Was Bullet-Riddled: Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor

We don't value battlefields for beauty, we rate them for historic significance and integrity. And Griffin's Woods, at the juncture of the Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor battlefields is extraordinary in both regards. Help us save 56 acres of land associated with five Civil War battles. bit.ly/3qOPtuj
Watch as Robert "Bobby" Krick of the Richmond National Battlefield Park describes the historic events that took place in what is now called Griffin's Woods. This land has been at the very top of every historian’s and preservationist’s “must-have” list for more than two decades.
The American Battlefield Trust preserves America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educates the public about what happened there and why it matters. We permanently protect these battlefields for future generations as a lasting and tangible memorial to the brave soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

[@6thmichcav262]

I have a great uncle who was in the 16th Michigan, Co B at Gaines Mill. He was listed as missing in action. He later returned to his unit after being captured and jumping off a prison ship and swimming to freedom. He was injured near FredericK, MD and spent the rest of the war in the Veteran Reserve Corps. Thank goodness, because the 16th Michigan was decimated at Gettysburg and he may not have survived. I have no idea if the prison ship story is true or not, but he is buried at the Cemetery at the Michigan Home for Veterans (formerly “The Soldiers’ Home”) in Grand Rapids, MI. His grave is in the second row in front of the monument statue. RIP Uncle Peter! I tip my cap when I run by in the morning.

[@lukesmith1003]

very cool stuff. my 4x great grandfather was in Conpany E the 13th NY of Morell’s division. crazy to think that John Bell Hood’s own brigade was in contact with my relative

[@mgunny05]

The gentleman presenting this, knowledge, the “casual confidence” shown that one knows he KNOWS this history…..his voice alone should be used in others!….a EXCELLENT presentation! 👏👏👏🍺🍺🍺!!

[@ultrametric9317]

Great work! I played in woods just like these as a kid in Atlanta. We would find rusted bayonets and Minie balls all the time - and we found a shallow grave in what would have been the Confederate rear. Keep up the good work with the Trust! Best wishes!

[@malg7322]

I think that is pretty awsome for u and other kids finding artifacts. Hope u still got them. History in your own backyard.

[@Shaymuhs]

That's really cool!

[@Wilders53]

That is pretty cool! I've always been into hunting native American artifacts myself. That said no major battles really happened in my area of east Tennessee

[@101st_AB]

That's pretty cool. I worked as a surveyor when the I-75/I-20 interchange near the capital building in Atlanta was updated in the 80's. When we would dig out holes for the bridge foundation, without fail, about 8' down we hit old, charred Atlanta. After work I would go back and dig around. I found a lot of hand blown glass, ink wells and such. And like you, I found all kinds of projectiles. I found what I thought at the time were clay marbles, only to find out later they were musket balls made of chert. Lots of history under our feet here!

[@molipaul]

In May 2016 I was traveling from MD to visit my parents in Greensboro, NC and stopped here around dusk. I was the only person around and will never forget the sense of awe as I walked along the stream bed path where so many had sacrificed so many years before. Thank you for this informative video.

[@jasonalexander3080]

No matter how big or small, where someone fought and gave there life for the cause should be remembered and protected. Small sermirmishes in the American wars might also lead to what happens in a bigger battle. Thanks A.B.T you guys are AWESOME for saving and helping remember history👍

[@pepperjo8252]

My gg grandfather was with the 60th Virginia. Thank you for your presentation and maps.

[@bjackson30303]

Good presenter, no distracting arm waving, etc. Good voice and inflection.

[@buckysimmons5164]

Absolutely dead on. He has suddenly became my go to, when watching anything by American Battlefield Trust.

[@Thedaleb1]

Glad this is preserved. In goochland by the country club in tuckahoe plantation there were lots of earth works in the woods unfortunately it is now a neighborhood

[@hughmarloweverest1684]

Thank you, saluting the fallen on both sides, and the wounded, mentally and physically.

[@mr.billofcourse.2893]

I have been there two or three times. I have never seen anybody else on the battlefield One of my favorites places when visiting Richmond. I sometimes get that eerie feeling that some body is watching me. This is the time of year I like to visit the battlefields. Good video. I'm going to Gettysburg next month for a few days. Always something new when I go there.

[@bobbeckman3735]

Thanks. My great great great grandfather lost an eye fighting in Picket’s division at Gaines’s Mill. Always glad to hear about the battle.

[@jaycourtois1109]

I haven't seen Krick in awhile..he never ages..and still one of the best.

[@robbayless9529]

I Went on civil war field trips when he was a young guide. Years before I went on field trips with his father, who was terrific!

[@MrIdasam]

All those Cicadas; reminds me of summers growing up in the deep south.

[@johnnystieferman6527]

I grew up in Fredricksburg va, we had a farm on the Rappahaock river i still remember cannon emplacements over looking the river , found a cannon ball many bullets , wish we could have had a metal detector back in the late 60,s but they were very expensive then..there was a lot of fighting done there..,

[@user-sd5vh1mx5x]

I love ❤️ Gaines’ Mill, out of all the Civil war parks in 804 it has the most charming landscape. It’s a nice place to get away from all the pervasive ugly neighborhood subdivisions, strip malls, Big box shopping centers, park lots. Besides being next to 295 and hearing the roar of the highway, it’s a nice place to step back in time.

[@ravinraven6913]

This is what I been needing to see, I think I need to go traveling and see these old sites. Cold harbor had 17,000 casualties and gaines mill has about 14,000. The things those brave men fought for was more virtuous that any other conflict outside WW2. They loved our land and our people, they loved everything that made us united. now we are more divided, imagine if the south hadnt been able to "fully agree" on secession. Thats how we are today, so if we had another civil war, it would be city against city or just person against person in the same city. We must all remember what transpired for us to be free, for all people to be created equal. A land of liberty and love, a land of hope and aspirations, a land of dreams that are meant to come true.

[@terryeustice5399]

Great narrative on this battle. Never really heard of this site. So proud that your preservation of this site. Thank you for sharing!

[@andrewblack7852]

A wood unsightly??? That’s literally a insane sentiment. No where in the world is a wooded area unsightly. Parking lots and strip malls are unsightly. Cookie cutter subdivisions are unsightly. Woods give people good feelings, feelings of wellness. Shinrinyoku, forest bathing is a studied therapy, it just means taking a walk in the woods.

[@junkyardjedi7706]

Now imagine those woods you are bathing in full of men who want to Kill You...

[@brandysmith3977]

I just returned from a private tour of the Seven Days Battles with noted author Doug Crenshaw. It was a great experience. The Gaines Mill battlefield is remarkably well preserved, The area around the creek where Hood's Texans broke through the gap in the Union lines is impressive. It is even more impressive when one realizes that the hills on either side of the depression from which the Union soldiers were firing down were probably much higher during the battle and the depression the Confederate soldiers charged up was much lower. Thanks for a great day, Doug! Mike Wilson

[@jimmyjames9752]

SAVE OUR BATTLEFIELDS AMERICA 🇺🇸

[@rogerashmore6720]

Thank you very much! It's important to know and remember our history.

[@buckysimmons5164]

I really like this gentlemans style of discussion on the Battle of Gaines Mill. He's calm and gives a fantastic, though short program. I have suffered thru a Civil War addiction since age 5 in 1976. Lol Hopefully we see more of his style tours in the future.

[@richardjohnson4238]

I grew up about five miles from where you're standing, and rode through the area near every day on a school bus, and later drove by on my way to high school. My grandfther and I relic hunted all over the area in the 60's I suppose it was. Us and a lot of others of course. I can't begin to list the amount of "stuff" we found with those old Fisher "machines" as we called them. Buttons and bullets, belt buckles and cartridge box plates, and I can't even remember what all else.

[@kyleUT]

The cicadas are like a Ken Burns sound effect gone out of control.

[@dennisyoung4631]

I’ve never heard those things before this instance. It sounds like a vast army of peeved rattlesnakes!

[@dalemullins4562]

lol @3:06 The confederate drone leads the way! I love this channel! I often wonder how similar the battle fields look compared to the 1860's

[@randmayfield5695]

I spent three months on the Coast Guard LORAN station on the island of Iwo Jima and was fascinated that the entire 7 sq. mile island was totally pockmarked by ordinance damage and the soil everywhere contained metal fragments. That must have been a horrible place to be during the month long battle.

[@lesheinen6116]

I have always enjoyed all of these videos starting with the PBS/Ken Burns miniseries. The one thing I would like to see on the maps presented is a graphic scale .... just a horizontal line representing 1 mile would be so useful in understanding the battlefields so much better.

[@kenthonea3251]

The first big battle my GG grandfather and his 3 brothers fought in and somehow survived the Bloody Angle till the end..

[@tberkoff]

Wrong battle.

[@kenthonea3251]

@@tberkoff so I misworded it… the first big battle they fought in and survived the next few yrs till the bloody angle and Petersburg till the end

[@williammurray8060]

What side, what companies

[@kenthonea3251]

@@williammurray8060 1st SC Infantry Orr’s rifles

[@Hugh_jasshole1980]

My ancestors were with the 4th NC infantry, D Co at Gaines Mill. My 5th Great Uncle was killed during the charge while other family members including 5th great grand father was wounded for the second time. Great uncle rests in the family cemetery. His body was shipped back home.

[@stevewalker4638]

Thanks for sharing this..

[@BryanPAllen]

Excellent description of events

[@ewittkofs]

This is an amazing battlefield that’s worth saving.

[@gregmcquade641]

Bravo, Bob! Well done. Thank you for all you do to preserve our history and protect these hallowed grounds.

[@tugboat25]

Nice job by Mr. Krick. Great presentation. I really enjoyed it. Good stuff!

[@richardglady3009]

That was an amazing video. Thanks for showing the geography. I love the video of the woods. Robert Krick is a great historian and speaker. Thank you.

[@Will-Parr]

Very well presented. Congrats

[@brianmccarthy5557]

Very interesting. Thanks for showing where Roberdeau Wheat died and an excellent picture of him. I've never seen a daguerreotype of him before, just drawings that didn't do him justice. A very romantic figure of the 1840's and 1850's adventurers, he fought for Walker in Nicaragua among other wars.

[@carywest9256]

When l saw Wheat's photo, the first thought was, he looks like Pablo Escobar the Columbian.

[@mikesabota2570]

Before Gaines Mill there was Beaver Dam Creek...searched all those areas for artifacts as a young teen before the widespread use of detectors..back then you could find items just laying there,washed up from storms over the years...

[@maxcorey8144]

An authorized person with metal detectors could have a field day collecting buttons, bullets, buckles, guns, canteens, knives, etc.

[@TheTacticalHillbilly]

My 4th great grandpa Pvt john H Pepper fought with the 1st South Carolina Rifles, Orrs Rifles. He was wounded on the 27th of June and died of his wounds on 19 August.

[@jamesdeen3011]

It's nice to see and hear these forgotten stories from our past. Very well presented and informative. 👍👍💯

[@jamesdeen3011]

@@amytaylor21395 I'm having a good day just having my breakfast and a cup of coffee. Wish you a great day too 👍

[@jamesdeen3011]

@@amytaylor21395 South central GA near the FL line. How about you?

[@jamesdeen3011]

@@amytaylor21395 not FL, in GA near FL line. Visited VA. Several times with my work.

[@jamesdeen3011]

@@amytaylor21395 my goodness, your very inquisitive. Not married and happily so. Children are grown. Grandkids are great. They live in Panama city FL.

[@jamesdeen3011]

@@amytaylor21395 my apologies, wasn't trying to be rude. It's just I've never receive personal questions from the internet. But I don't sence any deceitful intentions from you. I am 59 years old. My careers were military and construction. I've worked on the pentagon (before 9-11) and Langley along with numerous other bases up and down the east coast. I've visited Manassas and other civil war sites in that area. What about you What do you do?

[@georgecombs2242]

So good to see and hear RELK in his native habitat. A great tour leader and cool guy.

[@michaeldouglas1243]

Outstanding as usual. Learned alot.

[@TeamFish15]

I would love for this gentleman to be my history professor!

[@SignatureGala]

Thanks for the excellent, engaging talk.

[@blukeblue1235]

I visited this area in 1986 I think. Across the creek on the union side were many depressions in the ground that looked like old earthworks. Don't know if they were but they were in the right places. where the yankees dug in. Great video! Thank you!

[@tommyjenkins7453]

Great grandpa fought for the confederacy at olustee just north of lake city Fla, didn't work out so good for the yanks . He didn't have slavery on his mind I can promise you that, he was so poor his boots didn't match in photos I have saw of him

[@Wilders53]

Fantastic job!!! And thank you! So fascinating

[@marvwatkins7029]

Wrong: no woods are unsightly.

[@intpete]

Thank you! Interesting, stirring and poignant.

[@kevinhixson2955]

I love the Civil War era drone. 😉

[@robertdiehl1281]

Maybe I missed something. Imo I’m not sure I would describe any 75 acre tract of land with a forest of tress and undergrowth as ‘unsightly’.

[@danorock8559]

Are there any standing trees that are actual "witness trees" of the battle?

[@hokehinson5987]

Excellent! Good lecture style

[@bengrogan1992]

Hay at least the trees survived

[@derekwfrazier]

Thanks

[@stephenburns3678]

Thank you

[@EBthere]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[@brianmcclaughry5712]

Great presentation, American battlefield trust gets the facts out. I can't figure out how the individual soldier fought. In a line or behind fortifications. I guess the attacking force would be in the open

[@MatthewChenault]

An interesting thing of note: Some of the men from the 4th Texas (one of the regiments of Hood’s Texas brigade) are buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. Albert Polk Brown, Pleasant S. Wood, and John T. Young were all wounded at Gaines’ Mill (all from leg wounds), treated in one of Richmond’s hospitals, and then buried in Oakwood Cemetery with numerous others from the battlefield.

[@stony1269]

So, I'm seeing a lot of 60, 70, and 80 year old trees, but none that would have been around *back in the day*.

[@2anthro]

Captain Henry Harper Bibb, Alabama Partisan Rangers, Confederate Cavalry, was wounded at that battle.

[@Matt_justlikethat]

Gettysburg after the weekend, trees were cut down, literally. Over 50k dead, 17k horses…. Thanks

[@francisebbecke2727]

Who ordered the withdrawal from the Virginia Peninsular? Was it McClellan, Lincoln, or the Secretary of War? The Confederacy was close to collapse by most measures. The Confederates had smooth bore muskets while the Union soldiers had riffled muskets that had about four times the range.

[@raysmusic49]

Interesting story…thanks! Going to visit there someday

[@jokekelleey2071]

Can we see the spirits during the night time

[@scarystories190]

Biggest charge of the Civil War.

[@TS-wb8um]

those trees behind you are pretty young, right? that's what i thought visiting gettysburg, where are all the older trees? i saw a whole lot trees under 12" diameter.

[@cablenelsonbabygrandpiano842]

Thank you very much!!!!

[@jimmarchman]

I'm going to research what state and county this is in as it is not mentioned in the video.

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

The location is tagged above the title (in the description on mobile) but the Gaines' Mill Battlefield is in Mechanicsville, VA.

[@lindalemmens1196]

Thanks!

[@deadlyoneable]

I always take walks on the malvern hill battlefield as it is very close to me. I always close my eyes as I come out of the woods and into the clearing where so many confederates were mowed down by union cannons. So sad. So much death. I feel it. Every time.

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

Fantastic. I just found your sight. Im from Vicksburg/Bovina. You have probably been here. If not, I can show you around.🤣 The battle of "Big Black River" isn't even marked. The only Plaques/Markers are at Champions Hill. That's 20 miles East of downtown Vicks

[@samcolt1079]

It was a hard battle there. Many died . Why were people ready to kill each other for something today seems so stupid. It so sad. War sucks so bad. Lord save us from thinking that this is the anwser to such things.

[@benf1111]

It just sounds hot and humid.

[@stratocaster1greg]

Sir whats the integrity of the ground? Thanks.

[@andrewhoward9870]

Interesting!

[@wiha6483]

well presented!

[@peteroffler9040]

In France and Flanders the trees were smashed to matchwood fifty years later.

[@kenheise162]

Cold Harbor is where trench ware fare of WW1 originated. It’s creepy how close the lines really were.

[@stevegrepps4600]

I heard some civil war trust bought land at Piedmont battlefield in New Hope VA. A monument was erected on the site. Was this your group?

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

It was not, you can learn about that deal here: www.nps.gov/articles/000/-hallowed-ground-at-the-battle-of-piedmont-now-protected.htm

[@garyfrancis6193]

“No place just like this.” Why “ just”? It has n meaning here. Do you mean “ there’s just no place like this.” meaing it’s unique and incomparable?

[@lewie7820]

Gen grant said he had nightmares about cold harbor for years after the war.......

[@daskritterhaus5491]

did a history course included Am civil war. the prof wrote a book about the advances in plastic surgery during the conflict. she also asserted historical casualty figures were low.

[@Smithsgold]

Well done 👍

[@darthvadersith514]

So many cicadas!

[@williampresson5635]

My GG Uncle in the 12th Ms was killed at Gaines Mill. He was 16

[@cw7422]

I,live 5 mins from these battle fields.

[@larrystenger1247]

600,000 young Christian men died in the US civil war, 300,000 on each side praying to Jesus for safety. It is obvious that Jesus does not support hate, bigotry or wars. When will we ever learn.

[@phihelix8777]

Hmmnn both of the hidden hand.

[@jonesy4588]

what a shame the south didn't have a couple of machine guns

[@blusnuby2]

So, it would have been nice had you shown 'a bullet-riddled tree' to embellish your insightful narrative.

[@kysupersport]

Stop by Chickamauga. The timber there weren t sawed weren’t 60 years……

[@johndufford5561]

So how does Cold Harbor fit into this?

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

You can learn more about the land during Cold Harbor in these two videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnbcY3mbi89gY7s and kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZuXm4KFnpl7Zrs

[@constitution_8939]

I have my greatest bank of knowledge on WW 2 and then WW 1, however, I Must begin some real research upon the Civil War because of this video. For in this video I see the photographs of McClellan and Porter with the so-called "Hidden Hand" that I didn't see in Lee's photo or Any of the other Confederate Soldiers. This can only signify One thing, and may be a significant reason that somebody who irregulary produces a On Line publication where he has written many times in reference to the Civil War that the 'Wrong Side Won that one.' And for what I have just learned from seeing those photos of McClellan and Porter may now understand Why he makes this statement. For if the meaning of the "Hidden Hand" had them in both the Union and Confederacy then I guess membership in that fraternity made No difference in Why the Civil War took place at all or did it? So I have lots of history to uncover in regard to the Civil War and why it really happened as I thought at first that it was that fraternity Only existed in the North only to find that is Not true whatsoever. To the Drawing Board then!

[@Svensk7119]

Never been to a Civil War park. Sigh.

[@michaelfregoe5875]

They should have used that drone for reconnaissance.

[@LeeHoFooks]

That would be a great place to metal detect. Just kidding. 😁

[@jokekelleey2071]

He's going to talk about something talk about all the little stories of this and that

[@Svensk7119]

Scores highLY. HIGHLY.

[@joebob3719]

Lmao rebs owned E: seriously tho, great work protecting the site and a fantastic video explaining it

[@teddyhaynes9876]

They was just protecting there homes from domestic invaders period , you would’ve did the same as would any other in there right mind , but when someone has more people/supplies it’s hard to overcome that . If the south has unlimited guns/ammo and same amount of people south wins easily no doubt , they was better fighters and that’s a known fact