National Park Service Commemorates the 1862 Battle of Drewry's Bluff

Date: May 3, 2010
Contact: Mike Litterst, 804 226-1981 x. 30

National Park Service volunteers portraying Confederate sailors of the James River Squadron and soldiers of the Southside Heavy Artillery will be camped at historic Drewry’s Bluff in Chesterfield County on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16, 2010. Their camps will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. During the day there will be demonstrations, displays, and talks in camp focusing on military life and the role of the fort in the defense of Richmond. Throughout the weekend ranger-conducted walking tours will tell the story of how Confederate soldiers, sailors and marines fired the first shots in the defense of Richmond, repulsing a Federal fleet in May of 1862. All events are free and open to the public. To learn more about Drewry’s Bluff before your visit, go to Richmond National Battlefield Park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/rich.

 
During the Civil War, Drewry’s Bluff was known as a “Perfect Gibraltar” along the James River protecting the city of Richmond. In May of 1862, while the defenses at Drewry’s Bluff were still under construction, a Federal fleet that included the famous ironclad U.S.S. Monitor sailed up the James with plans to shell Richmond into submission. On May 15 the fleet was stopped at Richmond’s last line of defense – Drewry’s Bluff.