The USS Vanderbilt and Abraham Lincoln

From the February 12, 2020, Portsmouth Press "As we remember the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, we'd like to share a story about...."

This is about Lincoln's collaborations with Cornelius Vanderbilt.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Vanderbilt attempted to donate his largest steamship, the Vanderbilt, to the Union Navy.  But, Secretary Gideon Welles refused it, thinking its operation and maintenance  too expensive for what he thought would be a short war.

Vanderbilt had little choice but to lease it to the War Department, at prices set by war brokers.

When the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia wrought havoc on the Union Navy at Hampton Roads, Virginia, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Abraham Lincoln called on Vanderbilt for help.  This time, Vanderbilt  succeeded in donating his ship, the Vanderbilt, to the Union Navy.

He even had it equipped with a ram and had a carefully chosen group of officers on it.  It helped the situation in Virginia, and afterwards was converted into a cruiser and hunted for Confederate commerce raiders (it was one of the fastest ships of the time).

For donating his ship, Vanderbilt was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Thanks Cornelius.  --Old B-Runner