Cold Harbor was extensively photographed during and after the battle

Lots of Civil War photographers took part in the Battle of Cold Harbor as well. In order to document a battlefield, Civil War photographers needed a variety of circumstances to correctly align. They needed time to travel to the scene and strong indications that the photographic opportunities warranted the effort of sending a mobile studio. Most importantly, the field had to still be in Union hands. Since only part of the battlefield was under Union control, photographers recorded photos of Union camps, including most of the officers of the Union high command. These photographs, taken during a period of extreme tension, are unusually revelatory of their subjects. A photographer returned in 1865 to shoot parts of the battlefield, including Confederate fortifications and horrific scenes showing decomposed soldiers undergoing burial operations.

The photo on the right is the most famous and haunting picture that was taken during the Battle of Cold Harbor. This picture was taken by a photographer named Reekie John, showing African American soldiers digging with shovels near remains of the dead from the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia. This picture got famous for its rawness which describes the extremely brutal and haunting side of the war that we all know of but doesn't talk about enough. The picture is now kept by the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C