94:
310:
539:
274:
arrived to take command of the
Confederates the following day and constructed a new line extending westward from Drewry's Bluff. The Federals dug in before this new line. Butler's cautious advance gave Beauregard time to concentrate his forces. He summoned CS Major General W. H. C. Whiting's Division from Petersburg and planned a converging attack on the Union lines: Whiting would attack northward, hitting Butler's rear, while Hoke and CS General Ransom's Divisions, attacking en echelon from left to right, would drive the Federal right back from Drewry's Bluff.
302:
17:
250:(13 km) below the capital. This fort, known to the Federals as Fort Darling, was built on the land of Augustus Drewry. The garrison, commanded by CS Commander Ebenezer Farrand, included the former crew of the Virginia, the Southside Heavy Artillery (led by CS Captain Augustus Drewry), and other units manning the big guns. The Confederates had sunk several boats in the bed of the river to block access to Richmond.
268:
Petersburg
Turnpike to attack the Confederate line at Drewry's Bluff on the James River. This action was designed to cover a cavalry raid by US Brigadier General August V. Kautz against the Richmond & Danville Railroad. Smith soon encountered CS General Hoke's Division deployed along the north bank of Proctor's Creek. The Federals halted to await reinforcements from US General Gillmore's X Corps.
164:'s brother) took command of the site and supervised its expansion and strengthening into a permanent fort. While some workers constructed an outer line of entrenchments to protect the land approach to Richmond, others built improvements for the fort, including a chapel, barracks, and quarters for the officers. During this time, Drewry's Bluff became an important training ground for the
55:
256:
hit the battery on the bluff. The ironclad Galena was hammered by forty-five hits during the four-hour battle. Confederate sharpshooters along the banks successfully sniped at the sailors and wounded one ship's captain. The effective fire forced
Rodgers to take his squadron back downriver, and the U.S. Navy abandoned its attempt to approach Richmond from the river.
273:
On May 13 Gillmore circled to the west to outflank the
Confederate line. Smith pushed across the creek to find that the Confederates had abandoned the works for a stronger fortified position to their rear. Gillmore flanked this line at Wooldridge Hill, and the Confederates retreated again. Beauregard
267:
US General Butler withdrew the Army of the James into the entrenchments at
Bermuda Hundred. CS General Beauregard cobbled together a force of 18,000 to confront Butler's 30,000. On May 12 at 4:00 a.m. Butler ordered US General Smith's corps out in a pouring rain to strike north along the Richmond and
199:
The area remained an integral part of
Richmond's defense until the fall of Petersburg and Richmond. The garrison at Drewry's Bluff took part in the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg on April 2–3, 1865. Once Fort Darling had been abandoned by the retreating Confederates, the Union forces quickly
255:
On May 15 five warships of the James River
Flotilla under USN Commander John Rodgers steamed up the James River where they were hit by accurate fire from Drewry's Bluff. The shells did little damage to the Monitor, but it was ineffective because the crew could not elevate the ship's guns enough to
191:
Rivers, only 15 miles (24 km) south of
Richmond. Marching overland, they advanced within three miles (4.8 km) of Drewry's Bluff by May 9. While several Union regiments did manage to capture Fort Darling's outer defenses, delays by Union generals spoiled the success. Confederate infantry
279:
Ransom, with his right anchored near Fort
Stevens, attacked down the Old Stage Road through heavy fog on the morning of May 16. He rolled up the Union line from right to left until his offensive stalled—his troops could not see through the fog. Rather than counterattack, Smith ordered his
249:
The James River was virtually undefended after the
Confederates evacuated Norfolk and blew up the Virginia in early May. A Union naval advance on Richmond was blocked only by the defenses at Drewry's Bluff, sited ninety feet (27 m) above a turn in the river on the west bank, eight miles
145:
supervised the defenses of the fort. He ordered numerous ships to be sunk as obstructions in the river beneath the bluff. Six more large guns occupied pits just upriver from the fort. Men worked around the clock to ensure a full state of readiness when the Union fleet arrived.
93:
107:
On March 17, 1862, the men of Captain Drewry's Southside Artillery arrived at the bluff and began fortifying the area. They constructed earthworks, erected barracks, dug artillery emplacements, and mounted three large seacoast guns (one 10-inch
280:
troops to retreat to the turnpike. Whiting inched northward from Petersburg to Port Walthall Junction but missed the battle. Butler ordered his demoralized army back to Bermuda Hundred that afternoon, ending his offensive against Richmond.
85:. At this sharp bend, Drewry's Bluff on the west side of the James River rose 90 feet (27 m) above the water, commanding a view of several miles' distance downstream and making it a logical site for defensive fortifications.
238:
Two Virginia Historical Highway Markers, # VA-012 and # VA-053, are located on Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway (US Highways 1 & 301) nearby, and commemorate actions relating to Drewry's Bluff. The markers read:
633:
417:
301:
653:
212:
309:
643:
410:
388:
503:
403:
314:
196:
seized the initiative and successfully counterattacked on May 16. Once again a Union drive on Richmond had been defeated at Drewry's Bluff.
153:
took place on May 15, 1862. After considerable bombardment, the Union Naval vessels retreated, and Richmond was safe from attack by water.
290:
570:
449:
228:
638:
235:
south of Richmond. Visitors can stand in the former defense works overlooking what is still a commanding view of the James River.
395:
322:
294:
165:
326:
372:
427:
32:
262:
176:
244:
150:
648:
135:
560:
232:
208:
200:
cleared a path through the obstructions in the James River beneath Drewry's Bluff. On April 4, 1865, President
169:
123:
81:
turns almost due south for a distance of about 7 miles (11 km) before turning eastward again towards the
603:
585:
460:
78:
513:
483:
224:
48:
142:
610:
590:
580:
518:
112:
and two 8-inch Columbiads) in the fort. They were joined in early May by the crew of the Confederate
565:
550:
193:
97:
This 1862 map shows Drewry's Bluff at the bend in the river just below the "barrier to navigation."
16:
528:
523:
468:
330:
74:
66:
44:
575:
508:
498:
488:
478:
473:
180:
131:
356:
188:
157:
113:
383:
201:
184:
207:
Soldiers, sailors, and marines from Fort Darling joined the movement westward with Lee's
493:
82:
627:
161:
127:
36:
116:
102:
40:
350:
204:
and his son Tad passed the fort on the way up the James River to visit Richmond.
442:
21:
54:
289:
305:
Map from 1891 showing the stops on the Stops on the Richmond and Petersburg.
215:. Many of the sailors served as infantry during the fighting along the way.
109:
70:
265:(Drewry's Bluff), Virginia (VA-053), Chesterfield County, May 12–16, 1864
538:
187:, a neck of land north of City Point at the confluence of the James and
61:, photo by Levy & Cohen from collection of U.S. Library of Congress
378:
308:
300:
288:
53:
15:
399:
231:
includes 42 acres (170,000 m) of this historic land off
537:
293:
In this 1895 map, Drewry's Bluff is shown as a stop on the
156:
Drewry's Bluff saw no battle action for two years. Captain
379:
National Park Service - Richmond National Battlefield Park
47:. It was named for a local landowner, Confederate Captain
352:
The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States
321:
After the Civil War, Drewry's Bluff was a stop on the
313:
The Drewry's Bluff train stop was just south of the
549:
459:
634:Protected areas of Chesterfield County, Virginia
542:Map of Virginia highlighting Chesterfield County
325:between Falling Creek and Kingsland Creek. The
411:
8:
247:(VA-012), Chesterfield County, May 15, 1862
77:, the generally west-to-east course of the
654:Landforms of Chesterfield County, Virginia
418:
404:
396:
92:
341:
7:
175:On May 5, 1864, Union Major General
219:Civil War Heritage Park and signage
644:Virginia in the American Civil War
426:Municipalities and communities of
229:Richmond National Battlefield Park
14:
39:. It was the site of Confederate
323:Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
295:Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
166:Confederate States Naval Academy
327:Defense Supply Center, Richmond
223:The Drewry's Bluff unit of the
389:Virtual Tour of Drewry's Bluff
384:NPS webpage for Drewry's Bluff
329:, occupies this site today at
1:
429:Chesterfield County, Virginia
355:. Govt. Print. Off. pp.
211:, ultimately surrendering at
89:During the American Civil War
33:Chesterfield County, Virginia
122:which had been scuttled at
31:is located in northeastern
670:
100:
51:, who owned the property.
599:
535:
440:
209:Army of Northern Virginia
24:from Drewry's Bluff, 2009
639:American Civil War sites
571:Chesterfield Court House
451:Chesterfield Court House
373:Drewry's Bluff, Virginia
170:Confederate Marine Corps
151:Battle of Drewry's Bluff
349:Gannett, Henry (1905).
543:
318:
306:
298:
213:Appomattox Court House
98:
62:
59:Drewry's Bluff in 1865
25:
541:
312:
304:
292:
225:National Park Service
172:Camp of Instruction.
96:
57:
19:
612:United States portal
130:to avoid capture as
194:P. G. T. Beauregard
544:
331:Bellwood, Virginia
319:
307:
299:
177:Benjamin F. Butler
99:
75:head of navigation
69:, location of the
67:Richmond, Virginia
63:
49:Augustus H. Drewry
45:American Civil War
26:
649:Hills of Virginia
621:
620:
181:Army of the James
143:Ebeneezer Farrand
661:
613:
606:
540:
452:
445:
435:
430:
420:
413:
406:
397:
361:
360:
346:
158:Sydney Smith Lee
669:
668:
664:
663:
662:
660:
659:
658:
624:
623:
622:
617:
611:
605:Virginia portal
604:
595:
561:Bermuda Hundred
552:
545:
533:
455:
450:
443:
436:
433:
428:
424:
369:
364:
348:
347:
343:
339:
287:
263:Proctor's Creek
221:
202:Abraham Lincoln
185:Bermuda Hundred
105:
91:
12:
11:
5:
667:
665:
657:
656:
651:
646:
641:
636:
626:
625:
619:
618:
616:
615:
608:
600:
597:
596:
594:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
557:
555:
551:Unincorporated
547:
546:
536:
534:
532:
531:
526:
521:
516:
511:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
481:
476:
471:
465:
463:
457:
456:
441:
438:
437:
425:
423:
422:
415:
408:
400:
392:
391:
386:
381:
376:
368:
367:External links
365:
363:
362:
340:
338:
335:
286:
283:
282:
281:
276:
275:
270:
269:
258:
257:
252:
251:
245:Drewry's Bluff
220:
217:
192:under General
101:Main article:
90:
87:
83:Chesapeake Bay
29:Drewry's Bluff
20:View down the
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
666:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
631:
629:
614:
609:
607:
602:
601:
598:
592:
589:
587:
586:Walthall Mill
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
558:
556:
554:
548:
530:
527:
525:
522:
520:
517:
515:
512:
510:
507:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
466:
464:
462:
458:
454:
453:
446:
439:
434:United States
431:
421:
416:
414:
409:
407:
402:
401:
398:
394:
390:
387:
385:
382:
380:
377:
374:
371:
370:
366:
358:
354:
353:
345:
342:
336:
334:
332:
328:
324:
316:
315:Falling Creek
311:
303:
296:
291:
284:
278:
277:
272:
271:
266:
264:
260:
259:
254:
253:
248:
246:
242:
241:
240:
236:
234:
233:Interstate 95
230:
226:
218:
216:
214:
210:
205:
203:
197:
195:
190:
186:
182:
178:
173:
171:
167:
163:
162:Robert E. Lee
159:
154:
152:
147:
144:
139:
137:
133:
129:
128:Hampton Roads
125:
124:Craney Island
121:
120:
115:
111:
104:
95:
88:
86:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
60:
56:
52:
50:
46:
42:
38:
37:United States
34:
30:
23:
18:
448:
393:
351:
344:
320:
261:
243:
237:
222:
206:
198:
174:
155:
148:
140:
118:
106:
103:Fort Darling
64:
58:
41:Fort Darling
28:
27:
553:communities
514:Meadowbrook
484:Brandermill
444:County seat
79:James River
43:during the
22:James River
628:Categories
591:Winterpock
581:Tarrington
519:Midlothian
504:Manchester
337:References
285:Train Stop
189:Appomattox
183:landed at
141:Commander
566:Centralia
160:(General
110:Columbiad
71:fall line
35:, in the
529:Woodlake
524:Rockwood
469:Bellwood
179:and his
168:and the
138:forces.
134:fell to
119:Virginia
114:ironclad
576:Moseley
509:Matoaca
499:Ettrick
489:Chester
479:Bon Air
474:Bensley
375:on USGS
132:Norfolk
73:at the
136:Union
494:Enon
461:CDPs
149:The
117:CSS
357:109
227:'s
126:on
65:At
630::
447::
432:,
333:.
297:.
419:e
412:t
405:v
359:.
317:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
