Located seven miles below Richmond on the James River, this was a popular
spot for Richmonders to visit, as well as the scene of a battle between the
defenders on the Bluff, and Union ironclads in the river on May 15, 1862. Two
years later, Butler's army was attacked near here - this is known as the Second
Battle of Drewry's Bluff. The site is now part of the Richmond National
Battlefield Park.
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/30/1860; Curtis Peck (future
obstruction at Drewry’s Bluff) makes run from Norfolk to Richmond in 8 1/2
hours |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
4/30/1862; paragraph touting CSMC |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
4/30/1862; very nice recruiting notice for CSMC |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
5/5/1862; a company of 100 sappers and miners is working to "blockade the
river James" |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
5/14/1862; description of
the exchange of 860 prisoners from “Libby’s and other factories;” Lieut.
Turner escorts them down and encounters the Monitor, Galena and Steven’s
Battery on their way to Richmond. On the way back up, the returned prisoners
were taken off the boats, and the boats (Curtis Peck, Northampton and
Jamestown) scuttled in the channel to obstruct the river prior to the battle
at Drewry’s Bluff |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/15/1862; “Corinth” volunteers to join 100 other men to storm aboard Union
fleet if it reaches Richmond |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/15/1862; Men wishing to be sharpshooters along river bank to gather at
Washington Monument |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/15/1862; Important dispatch from Drewry’s Bluff - says three guns in the
fort and "five in pits" in place on May 14 |
|
Charleston
Mercury |
5/16/1862;
description of anticipation in Richmond on the eve of the naval battle of
Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/19/1862; details on the fight at Drewry’s Bluff, including casualties,
from a Petersburg paper |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/19/1862; Letter on Drewry’s Bluff – notes the commanders of the various
guns |
|
New York
Herald |
5/19/1862;
wonderful Northern perspective on the naval battle at Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/20/1862; George W. Alexander carried the dispatches from Drewry’s Bluff to
Richmond; Lt. James H. Rochelle manned “gun No. 2” during the fight |
|
New York Evening Post |
5/23/1862; incredibly important description of the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
from the commander of the Naugatuck (Stevens’ Battery) |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/24/1862; important details on companies at Drewry’s Bluff during the fight
that did "fatigue duty" and helped clear collapsed casemate, and took
casualties while doing so |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/28/1862; Lt. F. L. Hoge offers rewards for list of deserters. To be
brought to Naval Encampment, Fort Randolph, Drewry’s Bluff |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/30/1862; Mr. J. W. Drewry was conspicuous during the fight at Drewry’s
Bluff keeping men cool under fire |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/11/1862; long
descriptive list of CSMC AWOLs |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/13/1862; one of
the sunken boats in the James River at Drewry’s Bluff has been turned around
during a recent flood - her wheels begin to turn again |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/13/1862;
accusation that the Secretary of War and Engineering Departments have failed
to support the Sapper & Miner Company in their efforts at Drewry’s Bluff |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/16/1862; Paper
backs away from complaints about the lack of support by "high officials" for
the engineering efforts at Drewry’s Bluff. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/16/1862; Frank
Boylan commanding sapper & miners - camped at Drewry's Bluff - all AWOLs
report |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
7/12/1862;
details on funeral of a man who accidentally drowned at Drewry’s Bluff -
funeral at Trinity M. E. Church |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
7/23/1862;
important paragraph on the naming of battlefields - particularly ridicules
the use of the term “Fort Darling” for “Drury’s Bluff” |
|
Richmond
Whig |
8/1/1862; questions why the Yankees
refer to Drewry’s Bluff as “Fort Darling” instead of its “proper name” of
“Fort Drewry” |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/2/1862;
important article about the name “Fort Darling” and its origins |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/6/1862; Capt.
Tucker’s Co., 2nd North Carolina Battalion, stationed at Belle Isle.
Remainder of battn stationed “near Drury’s Bluff.” Commander adv for two
deserters. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/10/1862;
descriptive list of 5 CSMC AWOLs from Drewry’s Bluff |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/6/1862;
Mayor’s Court: Jas. Pearson, of Drewry’s Bluff command, jailed for assault;
woman tried for stealing $10 worth of silverware from Spotswood; details on
E. Hunter Taliaferro case |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/8/1862; 7 new
prisoners at Castle Thunder, including 2nd SC man from GH#18 for
misdemeanor, and a soldier recognized as a crewman of CSS Patrick Henry |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/12/1862; Saml.
J. Harrison can’t use all donated money for Drewry’s Bluff families. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
12/11/1862; A. H.
Schultz, daily round trips to Drewry’s Bluff leaves at noon and returns at 3 |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
12/16/1862;
steamer Schultz leaves at noon for Drewry’s, return trip at 2:30 - $1 round
trip |
|
William
A. Edwards CSR |
4/27/1863; important letter complaining over the appointment of chaplain at
Drewry’s Bluff chapel |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
5/1/1863; great description of Drewry's Bluff - notes that many visitors
have visited the bluff |
|
VHS 5/28/1863 |
5/28/1863; Sidney Smith Lee, commandant at
Drewry’s Bluff writes to enquire whether 3 Castle Thunder prisoners who
wrote to him might be released and allowed to enlist in the Navy. All three
were in prison for desertion. |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
7/17/1863; no more visitors will be allowed at Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
7/29/1863; great
physical description of Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
8/12/1863; account of a deserter from Drewry's Bluff reporting that the fort
garrisons only 90 men |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/12/1862; Geo.
H. Freer at signal station, Drewry’s Bluff |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
8/19/1863; officer
at Drewry's Bluff is court-martialled for being AWOL, and confined to camp |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/28/1862; Wm.
Hines, arrested near Drewry’s Bluff & sent to Castle Thunder for trading
with Yankees |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
12/5/1862;
steamer Schultz is now making daily trips to Drewry’s Bluff |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/21/1863; Masonic Lodge has been built at Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
10/23/1863; Masonic Lodge has been built at Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
5/13/1864;
describes Richmond during the Battle of Drewry's Bluff - notes on the
admission procedures for the wounded and gives numbers admitted; notes on
the hospitals for various states |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
5/17/1864; list of 14 officers captured at Drewry's Bluff (including General
Heckman) who were brought to Libby yesterday |
|
Richmond
Whig |
8/12/1864; steamer Allison is making daily trips to and from Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond
Whig |
10/25/1864; steamer Schultz has been rebuilt, and will resume trips to and
from Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/1/1864; praise
for the little steamer Parker, which makes excursions to Chaffin's and
Drewry's Bluff |
|
Richmond Whig |
4/17/1865; steamer runs afoul of one of the sunken vessels at Drewry’s Bluff
and sustains damage |
|
R. A. Brock notes |
1880;
notes on various Richmond sights and their current condition - mentions
Libby Prison, Castle Godwin, Castle Thunder (recently destroyed by fire),
Robertson Hospital (great physical description), Drewry's Bluff, and the
Union Hotel (now used to train missionaries) |
