The old warship was slowly rotting away at Gosport and the Union sailors evacuating the place April 20, 1861, before the Confederates arrived didn't even bother to set fire to it as they scuttled the ship.
Confederates were desperate for anything that would float, and nine days later, April 29th, pumped it out and raised it and later commissioned it the CSS United States, although most called it the CSS Confederate States (after all, it wouldn't do to have a warship named after your enemy).
On June 15th, the date of Lee's letter, it began serving as a receiving ship for new Confederate sailors and had an additional role in harbor defense, mounting 19 cannons.
When Confederates abandoned the navy yard in May, 1862, the ship was sunk in the Elizabeth River as an obstruction to Union ships. Those trying to scuttle the vessel found the old timbers so strong that a whole box of axes were ruined. They finally had to settle on boring holes from the inside.
Shortly after the CSS Virginia was blown up May 11, 1862, and after Norfolk Navy Yard surrendered, the ship was raised and towed to the yard where it remained until March 1864 when the Bureau of Construction and Repair decided to have it broken up and the wood sold.
This was delayed until December 18th when work began.
An Interesting Ship Story. --Old B-Runner
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