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

Date: May 6, 2009

National Park Service volunteers portraying Confederate sailors of the James River Squadron will be camped at historic Drewry’s Bluff in Chesterfield County on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 2009. Their camp will be open on Saturday from 10:00 until 5:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 until 3:00. 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. The program is free. To learn more about Drewry’s Bluff before your visit, go to Richmond National Battlefield Park’s website  and click on the link Torpedoes at Drewry’s Bluff to view a 3-minute video.

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. Throughout the weekend ranger-conducted walking tours will tell the story of how Confederate soldiers, sailors and marines repulsed the Federal ships.

Drewry’s Bluff is one of 13 Civil War sites protected by Richmond National Battlefield Park around the city of Richmond, Virginia. The site is located south of Richmond, off of Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) at Bellwood Road in Chesterfield County. All programs are free. For further information, visit the National Park Service headquarters at Chimborazo Park, call 226-1981 or join us on FaceBook.