Construction on the ship was delayed by several things. First was the lack of materials, particularly iron. Always scarce in the Confederacy, its procurement was made even more difficult by the blockade and by army demands on the overstrained Confederate railway system.
The blockade also caused problems in transporting the needed white oak from Florida.
Labor troubles led to a strike that lasted for a week. Even more labor shortages were caused by demands from the local militias which called workers away for drills and even parades.
Competition for skilled workmen with the builders of the CSS Mississippi, an ironclad being built on an adjacent shipyard by Nelson and Asa Tift, also slowed construction. Finally an agreement was reached whereby the work on the Mississippi would not continue until the Louisiana was completed.
All these things led to the Louisiana not being ready to be launched until February 6, 1862, nearly four months after the ship's keel was laid.
--Old B-Runner
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