Civil War Series Presents

Battle Of Cold Harbor

The public is invited to attend the next program in the ongoing Civil War lecture series at C.H. Booth Library in Newtown on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 pm in the library’s meeting room. Bill Barrante, the popular Civil War expert, will share his knowledge on the Battle of Cold Harbor.

The Battle of Cold Harbor, also known in civil War circles as “the battle Grant wished he had never fought,” was one of the bloodiest military engagements of the American Civil War, with close to 9,000 lives lost. The battle took place on June 3, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Virginia, just northeast of Richmond. The battle began when the Union Army of the Potomac, which numbered about 11,000 men under General Ulysses S. Grant, attacked the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, about 60,000 men under General Robert E. Lee.

Bill Barrante is a Watertown attorney who has a special interest in constitutional law and military history. In addition to giving lectures, he is a Civil War re-enactor, serving as adjutant of the 2nd Connecticut Volunteer Heavy Artillery.

Mr Barrante will be giving one more talk in the Newtown series. The program will be a philosophical overview of the American Civil War. It will be presented on Wednesday, May 3, and is entitled “The Right of Secession and the ‘Lost Cause.’”

All talks will take place in the meeting room of C.H. Booth Library, at 25 Main Street in Newtown. Admission is free and refreshments are served. Time will be set aside for questions. Call C.H. Booth Library at 426-4533 with any questions regarding this program.