Battle of Cold Harbor Virginia - June 1-3, 1864

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Battle of Cold Harbor Scientist Page   Heavenly Rain It was hot and sticky, on the day of the battle of cold harbor. The battle went on for hours and the soldiers were suffering in the heat. Any human can clearly see that this battle was not an easy one. Then, suddenly at around five o' clock, a slight drizzle started to appear. As the soldiers battled, they felt the heavenly coolness of the rain. The average rainfall on Cold Harbor is actually 3.4 inches a year. So those soldiers were very lucky to get that rare downpour. It's also easy to understand why they felt so hot during battle, because the average yearly temperature for Cold Harbor is 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Doctor's Qualifications Because of the heat during the battle, bacteria and disease spread quickly. The doctors working on the wounded had to work harder(or at least that's what they thought they were doing). The doctors in the Civil War were not well trained. During the time before the Civil War began, the doctors received hardly any training. For those who actually went to medical school before the war only spent about 2 years, or less, studying. Back then, even Harvard, had absolutely no microscopes or stethoscopes. Even the nurses were unexperienced. The nurses consisted of mostly males,and almost all of them were volunteers.This is a picture of a hospital during the civil war (to the left). More of the soldiers died in the hospitals, or from diseases, than on the battlefield. That's how serious the situation was.     The Battle Trail The battle moved on slowly bringing disease and misery. Here is the trail of the Battle of Cold Harbor. The blue rectangles are the Union soldiers (or the north), and the red rectangles are the Confederate soldiers (or the south).

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