The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862 in Chesterfield County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War.

With the fall of Yorktown, the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia guarding Hampton Roads at Norfolk was scuttled on May 11, 1892 off Craney Island to prevent her capture. This opened the James River at Hampton Roads to Federal gunboats.

On May 15, 1862, the Union ironclads USS Monitor and USS Galena , and accompanied by USS Port Royal, USS Aroostook , and USS Naugatuck steamed up the James River from Fort Monroe to test the defenses of Richmond.

Upon reaching a bend in the river above Dutch Gap, the five gunboats encountered submerged obstacles and deadly accurate fire from the batteries of Fort Darling at Drewry’s Bluff, which inflicted severe damage on the Galena. The Federal Naval vessels suffered at least 14 dead and 13 wounded and were turned back. The massive fort on Drewry's Bluff had blunted the Union advance just seven miles short of the Confederate capital. Richmond remained safe.

The area saw action again during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864-65.

References

• CWSAC Battle Summaries, National Park Service
• Battle of Drury's Bluff (note: spelling variant)