My understanding is that the USS Merrimack was scuddled and burned to its waterline in Norfork Harbor, or was it in the drydock(?), when the United States Navy abandoned the Norfork naval base. I am not sure just exactly how much damage was done to the Merrimack in this process. But if it was damaged as badly as I believe there wasn't much except for the lower hull and the machinery of the engines and boilers that was able to be salvaged to construct the CSS virginia from.

If that was the case then the construction of the CSS VIRGINIA from those parts and pieces was somewhat of an enginneering marvel given the times and conditions that it was done. In my estimation it was probably more of a construction accomplishment than the building of the USS Monitor was, which was so often acclaimed as being the marvel of the day.