There is a sharp bend in the
James River between the
Appomattox and
Richmond, where the stream, after flowing several miles, approaches itself within 500 yards. To flank Confederate works and to shorten the passage of the river 6 or 7 miles,
General Butler set a large force of colored troops at work, in the summer of 1864, in cutting a canal for the passage of vessels across this peninsula.
This canal was completed, with the exception of blowing out the bulkhead, at the close of December, 1864.
It was 500 yards in length, 60 feet in width at top, and 65 below the surface of the bluff.
It was excavated 15 feet below high-water mark.
On New Year's Day, 1865, a mine of 12,000 lbs. of gunpowder was exploded under the bulkhead, and the water rushed through, but not in sufficient depth for practical purposes, for the mass of the bulkhead (left to keep out the water) fell back into the opening after the explosion.
The canal was then swept by Confederate cannon, and could not be dredged.
As a military operation, it was
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a failure.
It was excavated in 140 days, and has since been made navigable.
While a greater part of the
National naval force on the
James River was on the expedition against
Fort Fisher (q. v.)the
Confederates sent down from the shelter of
Fort Darling, on
Drewry's Bluff, a squadron of vessels for the purpose of breaking the obstructions at the lower end of the
Dutch Gap Canal, and destroying the pontoon bridges below, so as to separate the
National troops lying on both sides of the
James.
The squadron moved silently under cover of darkness, but was observed and fired upon when passing
Fort Brady.
The vessels responded, and dismounted a 100-pounder Parrott gun in the fort.
the
Fredericksburg broke the obstructions at
Dutch Gap and passed through, but two other iron-clads and an unarmored gunboat grounded.
At dawn the gunboat
Drewry had been abandoned, and a shell from a National battery exploded her magazine, When she was blown to a wreck.
So hot was the fire from the shore that the voyage of the Confederate vessels was checked, and all but the ruined
Drewry fled up the river.
