Battle of Drewry's Bluff Facts

Also Known As

• Battle of Fort Darling

Date and Location

• May 15, 1862
• Chesterfield County, Virginia

Campaign

• Peninsula Campaign

Principal Union Commanders

• Commander John Rodgers

Principal Confederate Commanders

• Commander Ebeneezer Farrand

Union Forces Engaged

• James River Squadron

Confederate Forces Engaged

• Fort Darling Squadron

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

• Undetermined

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

• Undetermined

Estimated Union Casualties

• 24 killed or wounded

Estimated Confederate Casualties

• 15 killed or wounded

Result

• Confederate victory

Significance

• The James River Squadron consisted of two wooden warships, the Aroostook and Port Royal, two ironclads, the Monitor and Galena, and a Revenue Cutter Service gunboat, the E.A. Stevens (originally the USS Naugatuck), which had been refitted with iron plating.
• The Confederate victory at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff spared Richmond from the threat of being reduced by U.S. Naval artillery.
• For his valor during the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, Corporal John F. Mackie became the first U.S. Marine to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Timeline of the Peninsula Campaign

These are the main battles and events of the Peninsula Campaign in order. The battles that occurred from June 25 to July 1, 1862, are collectively known as the Seven Days Battles.

• March 8–9, 1862 — Battle of Hampton Roads
• April 5–May 4, 1862 — Siege of Yorktown
• May 5, 1862 — Battle of Williamsburg
• May 15, 1862 — Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
• May 31–June 1, 1862 — Battle of Seven Pines
• June 25, 1862 — Battle of Oak Grove
• June 26, 1862 — Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
• June 27, 1862 — Battle of Gaines’ Mill
• June 29, 1862 — Battle of Savage’s Station
• June 30, 1862 — Battle of Glendale
• July 1, 1862 — Battle of Malvern Hill