Cold Harbor Battlefield

Posted: 09.02.2025 | Updated: 09.02.2025

Just outside Richmond, an unsuspecting rural spot hides a history of war and pain from the American Civil War. Union and Confederate soldiers fought here for two weeks in 1864 and left nearly 20,000 men dead and even more wounded.

Now preserved by the Richmond National Battlefield Park, Cold Harbor Battlefield is a popular destination for Civil War and history enthusiasts. But others visit in hopes of experiencing an up-close encounter with spirits and paranormal forces.

Are you ready to find out what goes bump in the night? Join Richmond Ghosts to get a deeper understanding of why some soldiers here truly have not perished from this earth.

Is Cold Harbor Battlefield Haunted?

Like many battlefields of the American Civil War, Cold Harbor was littered with bodies that could not be quickly buried. The death tolls were staggering. One of the most photographed battlefields from the war, there are many photos showcasing horrific scenes of decomposing corpses and skeletal remains nearly a year afterwards. Today, many people encounter strange phenomena in the area, especially after the sun goes down. 

History of Cold Harbor Battlefield

Before the battle at Cold Harbor, the area had already served as a battlefield during the Battle of Gaines’ Mill, which occurred two years prior. This makes Cold Harbor a unique spot in the annals of American warfare. 

Toward the end of the war, General Ulysses S. Grant directed a series of battles at the heart of the Confederacy in what became known as the Overland Campaign, which started with the Battle of the Wilderness in early May 1864. This campaign focused on Virginia, and though the Union endured several defeats, it ultimately was a strategic success overall.

General Grant’s last major battle of his Overland Campaign, which became known as the Battle of Cold Harbor, began on May 31, 1864. Although the Union began with force, capturing the crossroads near Richmond, the battle soon transformed into what many historians consider the most lopsided battle of the war.

On June 3rd, Grant lost 7,000 soldiers alone. With such heavy casualties, it is no wonder that Grant would later write how he “always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made.”

Throughout the fighting, soldiers of both sides were disgusted to stumble across skeletons and body parts from the previous battle of 1862. These corpses could not be recovered and had been left to rot.

A precursor to the trench warfare of WWI, the Battle at Cold Harbor was the Confederacy’s final victory and a major influence on the anti-war attitude that was beginning in the North. A turning point in the war, Cold Harbor remains both sacred and scarred.

Hauntings of Cold Harbor Battlefield

The strange sights and sounds reported at Cold Harbor include cannon fire, tortured screams, and sometimes even apparitions of soldiers trapped in the world of the living. To some, these may be tricks of the eye or ear, but to many, they are obvious echoes of the trauma endured in the heat of battle. 

Though over a century has passed, the soil at Cold Harbor remains sour, and to this day, the living still notice a cold and otherworldly presence. Some hear footsteps despite being alone. Others hear horses neighing in a panic behind a strange mist. And the scent of gunpowder frequently floats in the air. 

The Child Ghost of Cold Harbor

Besides disembodied yells and cold spots that smell of sulfur, some visitors have encountered the apparition of a young girl wearing nineteenth-century clothing, including a white dress and a bonnet. Is she real? Or is she something beyond our comprehension? She’s seen walking along the tombstones near the battlefield. Others see her glaring at them as if she wants them to leave.

There are those who believe this little girl lived in a nearby house and witnessed men being riddled with bullets. Some say she was forced to assist with crude surgeries on the wounded. Perhaps she saw too much for her young eyes? Or was she so unlucky that she caught a stray bullet amid the fray?

Beware The Fog

Cold Harbor’s eeriness goes beyond the spirits of soldiers and creepy children. The most infamous phenomenon known in the area is a mysterious fog. This mist reportedly comes on suddenly and thick, covering the battlefield even on the sunniest of afternoons.

Is this a rolling cloud of gunsmoke from 1864? Or is it an unnameable portal between worlds? The only thing witnesses know for certain is that this fog is unnatural and frightening. And they hope never to see it again.

The Garthright House

The medical aide during the Civil War consisted of makeshift hospitals where infection ran rampant. For many of the wounded, amputation was the only known cure at the time. 

Not far from Cold Harbor, the Garthright House served as a field hospital where soldiers endured painful surgeries and torturous treatments. Reports of the era say that the Garthright family hid in the basement only to watch blood drip through the cracks above them.

Haunted Richmond

Richmond, Virginia, may be the most haunted city in the nation. Visitors typically sense something near them whether they’re investigating a historic graveyard, exploring an important Civil War battlefield, or resting at a cozy little inn. The history of Richmond is filled with uncanny and unusual tales that cannot be denied.

Now you can uncover the mystery and the macabre beneath the veneer of the Southern charm. Jump into frights and facts with Richmond Ghosts on an evening walk down the same sinister streets where history and horror happened. Don’t be afraid. Make sure your spot is secured tonight! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Richmond hauntings.

Sources:

• https://battlefieldtoursofvirginia.com/cold-harbor/
• https://www.saverichmondbattlefields.org/coldharbor.htm
• https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-cold-harbor
• https://random-times.com/2020/09/02/the-ghosts-of-cold-harbor-battlefield-mechanicsville-virginia/#google_vignette
• https://stonesentinels.com/cold-harbor/#google_vignette
• https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/cold-harbor.htm
• https://the-line-up.com/cold-harbor-haunted
• https://historycollection.com/10-haunted-battlefields-of-the-united-states-and-europe/
• https://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=27136#google_vignette