Changes

''Virginia'' began life as the second ship of the [[United States Navy]] named ''Merrimack'', and was launched by the Boston Navy Yard 15 June 1855, and commissioned 20 February 1856, Capt. Garrett J. Pendergrast in command.

''Virginia'' began life as the second ship of the [[United States Navy]] named ''Merrimack'', and was launched by the Boston Navy Yard 15 June 1855, and commissioned 20 February 1856, Capt. Garrett J. Pendergrast in command.

Shakedown took the new screw frigate to the Caribbean and to western Europe. ''Merrimack'' visited Southhampton, Brest, Lisbon, and Toulon before returning to [[Boston]] and decommissioning 22 April 1857 for repairs. Recommissioning 1 September 1857, ''Merrimack'' gotunderway from Boston Harbor 17 October as flagship for the Pacific Squadron. She rounded [[Cape Horn]] and cruised the Pacific coast of South and Central America until heading for home 14 November 1859. Upon returning to Norfolk, she decommissioned 16 February 1860.  

Shakedown took the new screw frigate to the Caribbean and to western Europe. ''Merrimack'' visited Southhampton, Brest, Lisbon, and Toulon before returning to [[Boston]] and decommissioning 22 April 1857 for repairs. Recommissioning 1 September 1857, ''Merrimack'' got underway from Boston Harbor 17 October as flagship for the Pacific Squadron. She rounded [[Cape Horn]] and cruised the Pacific coast of South and Central America until heading for home 14 November 1859. Upon returning to Norfolk, she decommissioned 16 February 1860.  

''Merrimack'' was still in ordinary during the crisis preceding [[Abraham Lincoln]]’s inauguration. Soon after becoming Secretary of the Navy, [[Gideon Welles]] took action to prepare the frigate for sea, planning to move her to Philadelphia. The day before the firing on Fort Sumter, Welles directed that “great vigilance be exercised in guarding and protecting” Norfolk Navy Yard and her ships. On the afternoon of 17 April, the day [[Virginia]] seceeded, Engineer in Chief B. F. Isherwood managed to get the frigate’s engines lit off; but the previous night seccessionists had sunk lightboats in the channel between Craney Island and Sewell’s Point, blocking ''Merrimack''. On the 20th, before evacuating the Navy Yard, the U.S. Navy burned ''Merrimack'' to the waterline and sank her to preclude capture.  

''Merrimack'' was still in ordinary during the crisis preceding [[Abraham Lincoln]]’s inauguration. Soon after becoming Secretary of the Navy, [[Gideon Welles]] took action to prepare the frigate for sea, planning to move her to Philadelphia. The day before the firing on Fort Sumter, Welles directed that “great vigilance be exercised in guarding and protecting” Norfolk Navy Yard and her ships. On the afternoon of 17 April, the day [[Virginia]] seceded, Engineer in Chief B. F. Isherwood managed to get the frigate’s engines lit off; but the previous night secessionists had sunk lightboats in the channel between Craney Island and Sewell’s Point, blocking ''Merrimack''. On the 20th, before evacuating the Navy Yard, the U.S. Navy burned ''Merrimack'' to the waterline and sank her to preclude capture.  

==Conversion to an ironclad==

==Conversion to an ironclad==