FORT DARLING (Drewry's Bluff), At tack on, 7 May 1862. President Lincoln, then at Fort Monroe, received a dispatch from Gen eral McClellan that his cavalry had made a re connaissance to Jamestown, on James River, that a Confederate battery at that point had been abandoned, and if it were possible for the Galena and other gunboats to move up James River, it would aid him in his movement up the Peninsula on Richmond. The President di rected Flag-officer Goldsborough, if he deemed it proper, to send the Galena and two gun boats. On the morning of 8 May Capt. John Rodgers, with the Galena, Aroostook and Port Royal, went up the river and engaged two bat teries of 10 guns each, one of which he silenced; the other he passed, two Confederate gunboats retiring up the river as he approached. Rodgers worked his way up the river, meeting with no serious opposition until he arrived at Fort Dar ling, on Drewry's Bluff, eight miles below Rich mond, a strong position on the right bank of the river, about 200 feet above it, and mounting five heavy guns, manned by the crews of the de stroyed Merrimac and other ships at Norfolk, under command of Captain Farrand, C. S. navy. The guns were mounted in such position as to Five a close and plunging fire upon an advanc ing vessel. At the foot of the bluff the river had been obstructed by piles and sunken vessels secured by chains, and the shore was lined with rifle-pits, sheltering sharpshooters. Rodgers
was now joined by the Monitor and Naugatuck, and on the morning of the 15th ran up and opened fire, the Galena leading and anchoring within 600 yards of the fort. The Monitor could not bring her guns to bear, and the action was principally confined to the Galena, which, after a contest of nearly three and a half hours, withdrew, having been struck 28 times, and los ing 24 men killed and wounded. Two of the Confederate guns were dismounted, and Far rand reported a loss of 7 men killed and 8 wounded. Two or three days later, recognizing the fact that the co-operation of the army was needed to carry the position, Goldsborough pro posed to McClellan a joint attack, but McClellan preferred waiting until he got his army across the Chickahominy. The Confederates strength ened the position and it remained in their pos session until the close of the war, an obstacle to the advance of the gunboats up the James to Richmond, and also to the operation of the army investing Richmond and Petersburg. Consult 'Naval War Records) (Vol. VII) ; Allan, 'Army of Northern Virginia.)