Editing USS Monitor (section)

===Battle of Drewry's Bluff===
[[File:Battle of Drewry's Bluff.jpg|thumb|alt=|Engraving of [[Battle of Drewry's Bluff]]]]
{{main|Battle of Drewry's Bluff}}
After the destruction of ''Virginia'', ''Monitor'' was free to assist the [[Union Army]] and [[George B. McClellan|General McClellan's]] campaign against Richmond. As the Navy always gave command to officers based on seniority, Greene was replaced with Lieutenant [[Thomas O. Selfridge]] the day after the battle. Two days later, Selfridge was in turn relieved by Lieutenant [[William Nicholson Jeffers]] on 15 May 1862.<ref>[[#Davis75|Davis, 1975]], p. 147</ref><ref name=Fuller178>[[#Fuller|Fuller, 2008]], p. 178</ref> ''Monitor'' was now part of a flotilla under the command of Admiral [[John Rodgers (American Civil War naval officer)|John Rodgers]] aboard ''Galena'', and, along with three other gunboats, steamed up the James River and engaged the Confederate batteries at [[Drewry's Bluff]]. The force had instructions to coordinate their efforts with McClellan's forces on land and push on towards Richmond to bombard the city into surrender if possible. Without any assistance, the task force got within {{convert|8|mi|km|abbr=on}} of the Confederate capital but could not proceed further because of sunken vessels and debris placed in the river that blocked further passage. There were also artillery batteries at [[Fort Darling]] overlooking and guarding the approach, along with other heavy guns and sharpshooters positioned along the river banks. The fort was strategically situated on the west bank of the James River atop of a [[Hill|bluff]] some {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=on}} above and overlooking the bend in the river.<ref name=Fuller178/><ref name=Stern90>[[#Stern|Stern, 1962]], p. 90</ref> ''Monitor'' was of little help in the assault because the confinement and small gun ports of her turret would not allow her to elevate her guns sufficiently to engage the Confederate batteries at close range, so she had to fall back and fire at a greater distance,<ref name=Stern90/> while the other gunboats were unable to overcome the fortifications on their own.<ref name="Nelson, James L 2005 400 pages"/> After ''Monitor'' received only a few hits, without incurring any damage, the Confederates, many of whom were former crew members of ''Virginia'' well aware of her ability to withstand cannon shot even at close range,<ref>[[#McCordock|McCordock, 1938]], p. 349</ref> concentrated their guns on the other ships, especially ''Galena'', which sustained considerable damage and moderate casualties.<ref name=Stern90/> After a near four-hour artillery duel and sustaining numerous hits overall, the flotilla was unable to neutralize the fortification and had to turn back.<ref>[[#Wagner|Wagner, Galleghar, Finkelman, 2002]], p. 530</ref> Not a single Union ship reached Richmond until near the end of the war, when the city was finally evacuated by the Confederates.<ref name=Stern90/><ref>[[#Wagner|Wagner, Galleghar, Finkelman, 2002]], p. 574</ref>

[[File:USSMonitor1862.4.ws.jpg |thumb|1862 picture of USS ''Monitor'' crew; the African American crewman in the right foreground is Siah Carter<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/monitor.htm |title=Navsource archives |access-date=9 March 2019 |archive-date=16 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116001909/http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/monitor.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
After the battle at Drewry's Bluff ''Monitor'' remained on the James River providing support, along with the ''Galena'' and other gunboats, to McClellan's troops at various points along the river including [[Harrison's Landing]]<ref name=Quarstein149>[[#Quarstein10|Quarstein, 2010]], pp. 149–150</ref>
<ref>[[#Tucker06|Tucker, 2006]], p. 182</ref> which ended in August. However most of the time spent on the river was marked with inactivity and hot weather which had a negative effect on the morale of ''Monitor''{{'}}s crew. During the long, hot, summer, several crew members became sick and were transferred to Hampton Roads while various officers were replaced including Newton, while Jeffers was replaced by Commander [[Thomas H. Stevens, Jr.]]{{efn|Stevens previously served as commander of {{USS|Maratanza|1861|6}}.<ref name=Quarstein149/>}} on 15 August. By the end of August, ''Monitor'' was ordered back to Hampton Roads and dropped anchor nearby the sunken ''Cumberland'' at Newport News Point on 30 August, much to the approval of the crew. ''Monitor''{{'}}s sole purpose now was to blockade the James River from any advances made by the newly constructed {{ship|CSS|Virginia II||2}}, an ironclad ram.<ref name=Quarstein149/>