The Battle of Drewry's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling, or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in

Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is located just south of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the sout ...

, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Four

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

warships, including the

ironclads An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. Th ...

and , and the United States Revenue Cutter Service's ironclad USRC ''Naugatuck'' steamed up the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

to test the defenses of

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, the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

capital. They encountered submerged obstacles, and deadly accurate fire from the batteries of

Fort Darling Fort Darling (Drewry's Fort, Drewry's Bluff) was a Confederate military installation during the American Civil War located at Drewry's Bluff, a high point of 80–100 feet overlooking a bend in the James River south of Richmond in Chesterfield Cou ...

Drewry's Bluff Drewry's Bluff is located in northeastern Chesterfield County, Virginia, in the United States. It was the site of Confederate Fort Darling during the American Civil War. It was named for a local landowner, Confederate Captain Augustus H. Drewry, w ...

, which inflicted severe damage on ''Galena'', forcing them to turn back.

Background

Peninsula Campaign March 17 - May 31, 1862

In the spring of 1862,

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George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

launched an amphibious operation against Richmond by landing troops at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

and then marching northwest up the

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. After the fall of Yorktown and the withdrawal of

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Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia secede ...

's army up the Peninsula, only the

Confederate Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

ironclad prevented Union occupation of the lower James River and

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. When the Confederate garrison at Norfolk was evacuated by Maj. Gen. Benjamin Huger on May 10,

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Josiah Tattnall III Commodore Josiah Tattnall (November 9, 1795 – June 14, 1871) was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War and the Mexican–American War. He later served in the Confederate Navy during the American C ...

knew that he could not navigate ''Virginia'' through the shallow stretches of the James River toward Richmond, so she was scuttled on May 11 off Craney Island to prevent her capture. This opened the James River at

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

to Federal gunboats. BatteryDantzlerDrewrysBluff1864

The only obstacle protecting Richmond from a river approach was

on Drewry's Bluff, overlooking a sharp bend down river from the city. The Confederate defenders, including marines, sailors, and soldiers, were supervised by navy

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Ebenezer Farrand and by army

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Augustus H. Drewry (the owner of the

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that bore his name) of the Southside Heavy Artillery. The eight cannons in the fort, including field artillery pieces and five naval guns, some salvaged from ''Virginia'', commanded the river for miles in both directions. Guns from , including an smoothbore, were just upriver and sharpshooters gathered on the river banks. An underwater obstruction of sunken steamers, pilings, debris, and other vessels connected by chains was placed just below the bluff, making it difficult for vessels to maneuver in the narrow river.

Battle

On May 15, a detachment of the U.S. Navy's

North Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

, under the command of Commander

John Rodgers John Rodgers may refer to: Military * John Rodgers (1728–1791), colonel during the Revolutionary War and owner of Rodgers Tavern, Perryville, Maryland * John Rodgers (naval officer, born 1772), U.S. naval officer during the War of 1812, first ...

steamed up the James River from Fort Monroe to test the Richmond defenses. The flotilla consisted of the ironclad gunboats USS ''Monitor'' (commanded by

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

William N. Jeffers) and (the flagship), the screw gunship , the side-wheeler , and the twin-screw semi-submersible ironclad USRC ''Naugatuck''. At 07:45, ''Galena'' closed to within of the fort and anchored, but before Rodgers could open fire, two Confederate rounds pierced the lightly armored vessel. The battle lasted over three hours and during that time, ''Galena'' remained almost stationary and took 45 hits. Her crew reported casualties of 14 dead or mortally wounded and 10 injured. ''Monitor'' was a frequent target, but her heavier armor withstood the blows. Contrary to some reports, ''Monitor'', despite her squat turret, did not have difficulty bringing her guns to bear and fired steadily against the fort. ''Naugatuck'' sustained little damage compared to the Monitor and Galena due to her semi-submersible design, but had to withdraw when her 100-pounder

Parrott rifle The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle-loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War. Parrott rifle The gun was invented by Captain Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He was an American soldier and invent ...

exploded. The two wooden gunboats remained largely out of range of the big guns, but the captain of ''Port Royal'' was wounded by a sharpshooter. Around 11:00, the Union ships withdrew to City Point.

Aftermath

During the battle, Corporal

John F. Mackie John Freeman Mackie (October 1, 1835–June 18, 1910) was a United States Marine Corps sergeant during the American Civil War. He was awarded the nation's highest military decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor, for his actions aboard the d ...

became the first

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to earn the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

. The massive fort on Drewry's Bluff had blunted the Union advance just short of the Confederate capital, at a loss of seven Confederates killed and eight wounded. Richmond remained safe. Rodgers reported to McClellan that it was feasible for the navy to land troops as close as from Richmond. Some amateur researchers think the Union Army never took advantage of this observation,Eicher, p. 273. yet the entire purpose of the expedition was to obtain such information. The area saw action again during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. The

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River (Virginia), James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. Histor ...

landed on May 5, 1864, at Bermuda Hundred, a neck of land north of City Point at the confluence of the James and Appomattox Rivers, only south of Richmond. The army marched overland, advancing within of Drewry's Bluff by May 9. From a tactical perspective, Bermuda Hundred allowed a complete amphibious landing with less likelihood of counterattack than a landing five miles closer to Drewry's Bluff and Fort Darling.

Gallery

Drewry%27s_Bluff.gif, Drewry's Bluff, 1865. Drewry's Bluff.jpg, Drewry's Bluff, August 2016.

Notes

References

* Eicher, David J. ''The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. . * Kennedy, Frances H., ed
''The Civil War Battlefield Guide''
2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998. . * Salmon, John S. ''The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide''. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001. . * Sears, Stephen W. ''To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign''. Ticknor and Fields, 1992. .
National Park Service battle description

CWSAC Report Update

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drewry's Bluff

James River (Virginia)

United States Marine Corps in the 18th and 19th centuries 1862 in the American Civil War 1862 in Virginia Confederate States Marine Corps

May 1862 events