Military Wiki
CSS Drewry
Alleged wreck of CSS Drewry in 1865
The wreck of a Confederate gunboat on the James River in 1865, believed to be that of CSS Drewry.
Career Confederate States Naval Ensign after May 26 1863
Name: CSS Drewry
Commissioned: 1863
Decommissioned: January 24, 1865
Fate: Destroyed by artillery fire
General characteristics
Displacement: 166 tons
Length: 106 ft (32 m)
Beam: 21 ft (6.4 m)
Draft: 5 ft (1.5 m)
Propulsion: Steam engine
Armament: 1 6.4" rifled cannon, 1 7" rifled cannon

CSS Drewry was a wooden gunboat with foredeck protected by an iron V-shaped shield. Classed as a tender, she was attached to Flag Officer French Forrest's James River Squadron sometime in 1863 with Master Lewis Parrish, CSN, in command.

In addition to transporting troops and other routine service, she took part in several engagements along the river prior to January 24, 1865, when, in Trent's Reach, she was destroyed by two shots from a 100-pounder rifle in a battery of the 1st Connecticut Artillery. The second hit exploded her magazine as she assisted CSS Richmond to get afloat; all but two of her crew had reached safety before the explosion.

Commanders[]

The commanders of the CSS Drewry were:[1]

  • William Harwar Parker (May-fall 1862)
  • Master Lewis Parrish (around October 1863-May 1864)
  • Lieutenant William B. Hall (May 19-May 21, 1864)
  • Lieutenant William H. Wall (June 1864-January 23, 1865)

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. Coski

References[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at CSS Drewry and the edit history here.