Richmond Stayed Safe

The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff a part of the Peninsula Campaign was fought May 15^th 1862 in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

The only obstacle to Union movement up the James River after the fall of Norfolk, Virginia; protecting the Confederate capital at Richmond, was Fort Darling and Drewry’s Bluff.  Drewry’s Bluff is located about 7 miles from the capital on a sharp bend in the river.  The confederates in the area were under the command of Navy Commander Ebenezer Farrand and Army Captain Augustus H Drewry.  Fort Darling had 8 cannons along with some artillery and naval guns salvaged from the CSS Virginia.  Also protecting the fort were the CSS Patrick and obstructions placed just under the water in the river.

A detachment of Union navy under Commander John Rodgers steamed up the James River on May 15^th 1862 from Fort Monroe.  The ships in this detachment included the USS Monitor, USS Galena, and USS Aroostook with others.  The Galena got to within 600 yards of the fort, but was hit by several Confederate rounds before she could fire on the fort.  The battle went on for over three hour with the Galena taking another 45 hit, unable to move.  The Monitor’s heavy armor allowed her withstand the incoming ammo, but she was unable to elevate her guns enough to hit the Confederate batteries.  The Union ships were force to withdraw to City Point.

Fort Darling on Drewry’s Bluff had held up to the attack with only 8 casualties.

A Solid Ironclad

The USS Weehawken was commissioned January 18^th 1863 under the command of Captain John Rodgers.

The USS Weehawken was an enlarged version of the USS Monitor, a Passaic class ironclad.  She was launched by the Zeno Secor & Company of Jersey City, New Jersey on November 5^th 1862.  Accompanied by the USS Iroquois bound for duty as part of the South Atlantic Blocking Squadron they left New York January 18^th 1863.  They encountered high winds and heavy seas off the coast of New Jersey, but the Weehawken was better designed then her archetype the Monitor, and her commander Captain John Rodgers put her safely into Norfolk on February 1^st 1863.

On April 7^th 1863 the Weehawken led the first assault against Confederate installations in the Charleston, South Carolina harbor.  During the failed action the Weehawken took 53 direct hits and a torpedo.  She did not suffer any real damage.  Her next action was again the CSS Atlanta in Wassaw Sound, Georgia.  With just five shots the crew of the Weehawken put the Atlanta out of action, and got Captain Rodgers a commendation from Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles and a promotion to Commodore.