battleonthejames1

A rather obscure facet of The War took place along the main water artery supplying the City of Richmond. From the first days of the conflict, the leaders of the Union military machine saw the possibilites available to them by the opening, and control of, the river that could place their guns within two miles of the Confederate capitol. A year after the first shots, a force was on it's winding way to do just that...

As a first line of defense, and possibly a way to open the entire Eastern Seaboard, the Confederates decided to attempt the construction of one of the first iron clad vessels seen in American waters. Their plan was within days of exceeding all of their wildest dreams, but the Federal Navy had their own surprise. The day after the CSS Virginia (better known as the Merrimac) had ventured out of the mouth of the James and destroyed the USS Cumberland and Congress and forced the Minnesota aground, she came back to finish the job of breaking the blockade off Virginia. Unfortunatly, as she steamed for the stranded Minnesota, a strange new ship emerged to change the course of The War. She was the USS Monitor, a revolutionary, ironclad warship designed specifically to combat the Confederate's armored monster.
After a morning of slugging back and forth with some of the largest caliber cannon in the world, it became obvious that the age of wooden sailing ships was over forever. Neither ship could gain the advantage. Finally, the Monitor moved off for a momentary respite (her commander had been blinded by a shot that bounced off of the pilothouse that sprayed his face with iron fragments), and the Virginia couldn't follow because of shoal waters (she drew better than 22 feet of water) and numerous holes through her stack. The Confederates decided to call it a day. The two never again came to blows. The Virginia had to be scuttled with the loss of Norfolk, when it was found she couldn't ascend the James River to Richmond. Monitor, never very seaworthy to begin with, foundered off of Cape Hatteras and went to the bottom in a gale. The watery road to the Southern capital was now open. Or so the Union Navy believed!

Painting of the CSS Virginia sinking the USS Cumberland in Hampton Roads. The Confederates were the first of the antagonist to revive an ancient form of fighting ship, the ram.
This meant the ironclad had to steam directly into the side of her target, unleashing a blast from her bow gun as her iron beak tore a hole into the hull of the enemy vessel.

As an immense Union army under George McClellan headed up the Virginia Peninsula, the navy was charged with protecting the left flank on the James. After clearing the forts along the eastern portion of the stream, the navy decided to push straight for Richmond to see if they could bombard the capital into submission without the help of the land force.
All went well until the flotilla rounded a bend just southeast of the city. The Confederates had set what amounted to a trap. Hulks had been sunk, blocking the channel. But, far worse for the blue navy were the puffs of smoke that went up from an ninety foot bluff on the south bank. Fort Drewry was in business! The Rebel engineers had hastily placed numerous artillery batteries, some of which had been salvaged from the Virginia and were manned by her crew, now left high and dry, upon Drewrys Bluff.
The Federal ships quickly realized they were not going to end the war that day. The Monitor couldn't raise her guns to an elevation which would allow her to hit the hilltop fort. The Galena, another ironclad, and other warships were being roughly handled. The force had to limp back downstream. It was the closest the Union Navy got to the city until Robert E. Lee fell back from Petersburg, and Richmond had fallen three years later.

The same gun emplacement as seen in the photos taken during The War above (I am not sure, but I doubt it's the actually same cannon). From the view at right, you can gain a better idea of the commanding position the Confederates on Drewrys enjoyed. As soon as the Union warships rounded the bend visible in the distance, they entered what amounted to a shooting gallery. Their plight was further enhanced by the line of sunken hulks obstructing the river channel just below the fort. With a swift advance past the citadel on the bluffs out of the question, the only recourse left the vessels was to slug it out with the heavy guns; however, due to the elevation of Drewrys Bluff, many of the cannon on the Yankee ships couldn't even reach it. Finally, with casualties mounting, the boats taking water, and a hail of rifle bullets pinging all around (the shore line was filled with soldiers and marines firing small arms at the Yanks), the Federals dropped back down the river to rest and refit.