Freed slave Mary Touvestre was employed as a housekeeper for one of the Confederate engineers charged with repairing the U.S. Navy’s Merrimac.
In April 1861, Federal forces fled the Gosport Navy Yard, and left the partially burned, steam-powered U.S. Navy’s Merrimac behind. Confederate engineers were charged with rebuilding the frigate as an ironclad C.S.S. Virginia.
Enter the quick-witted freed slave Mary Touvestre. Touvestre, who worked as a housekeeper for one of the Confederate engineers, overheard the engineers speak of the threat that the rebuilt ship would pose to the Northern blockade. Touvestre stole the engineers’ plans traveled to Washington and met with Navy officials.
