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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Near Richmond in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic) |
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The USS Monitor
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By Bernard Fisher, May 12, 2012 | |
| | | 1. The USS Monitor Marker | | |
Inscription. During the Peninsula Campaign in the spring of 1862, a variety of innovative weapons saw action. But nothing captured the public’s attention more than ironclad warships, in particular the USS Monitor. After its epic duel with the CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the Monitor next found fame here at Drewry’s Bluff during the battle on May 15.
Contrary to some reports, the Monitor, despite its squat turret, did not have difficulty bringing its guns to bear. Commanded by Lt. William N. Jeffers, it fired steadily against Fort Drewry. The Confederate cannon, after bouncing a few ineffective rounds off the ironclad, turned their focus to the vulnerable USS Galena. This proved to be the Monitor’s last major action.
The Monitor went down on December 31, 1862, sunk in an Atlantic gale off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Sixteen crewmen died, perhaps including some of the men who posed in the black and white photograph taken in July 1862. In 1975, the wreck became the nation’s first National Marine Sanctuary, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The turret of the warship emerged from the waves in August 2002, raised by NOAA and the United States Navy. It is on display at the USS Monitor Center at The Mariners Museum | | | | 
By Bernard Fisher, May 12, 2012 | |
| | | 2. View upriver towards Richmond | | |
in Newport News, Virginia.
“It was one of those warm, muggy days…which, shut up closely as we were, made ventilation very difficult. At times we were filled with powder smoke below threatening suffocation to us all. Some of the hardiest looking men dropped fainting at the guns.”
William Keeler, an officer aboard the USS Monitor during the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff.
Erected 2012 by Richmond National Battlefield Park, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Location. 37° 25.33′ N, 77° 25.305′ W. Marker is near Richmond, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. Marker can be reached from Fort Darling Road half a mile north of Bellwood Road. Click for map. This marker is located in the Drewry’s Bluff (Fort Darling) unit of Richmond National Battlefield Park. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7600 Fort Darling Road, Richmond VA 23237, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Drewry’s Bluff (here, next to this marker); Duty Above and Beyond (here, next to this marker); May 15, 1862—The Battle of Drewry's Bluff (a few steps from this marker); Finishing Fort Drewry (within shouting distance of this marker); A Perfect Gibraltar (within shouting distance of this marker); Hot Shot and Wooden Ships (within shouting distance of this marker); "A Very Neat Chapel" (within shouting distance of this marker); Covered Way (about 300 feet away, in a direct line). Click for a list of all markers in Richmond.| | | | 
By Bernard Fisher, May 12, 2012 | |
| | | 3. View downriver from Drewry's Bluff. | | The Union flotilla was positioned near the modern buoy. | | |
Also see . . .
1. Drewry's Bluff. Richmond National Battlefield Park (Submitted on May 14, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)
2. Drewry’s Bluff. Civil War Richmond (Submitted on May 14, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)
3. USS Monitor Center. The Mariners' Museum (Submitted on May 14, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)
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By James F. Gibson, July 9, 1862 | |
| | | 4. James River, Va. Sailors relaxing on deck of U.S.S. Monitor | | Library of Congress [LC-B811- 490] | | |
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By Bernard Fisher, May 12, 2012 | |
| | | 5. The USS Monitor Marker | | Civil War Sesquicentennial dedication of new interpretive signs commemorating the Battle of Drewry's Bluff. | | |
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Credits. This page originally submitted on May 13, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia. This page has been viewed 188 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 13, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia. 4, 5. submitted on May 14, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.
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