Post-war
In 1873, Tecumseh was sold for salvage by the Department of the Treasury to James E. Slaughter of Mobile for $50. After the purchase, Slaughter let it be known that he intended to use explosives to blast the wreck into salvageable pieces to recover iron and possibly the ship's safe. In 1876, the relatives of the men lost on Tecumseh petitioned Congress to stop the salvage. Congress quickly passed Joint Resolution No. 23 on 15 August directing the Secretary of the Treasury to return the $50, with 6% interest to Slaughter. The Secretary of the Navy was to assume control of the wreck and was empowered to protect Tecumseh. Congress stipulated that any salvage efforts must provide for the proper removal and burial of the vessel's dead crewmen.
In 1974, Jack Friend — a Mobile naval historian — was commissioned to examine the feasibility of raising Tecumseh and concluded that it would cost an estimated $10 million US. More modern estimates have determined a salvage cost of $80 million US. The Tecumseh sank into the soft mud of the bay and is 99% buried. Of the located Civil War era ironclads the Tecumseh is the best preserved and there are an estimated 50,000 artifacts in the wreck site including the two 15 in (380 mm) Dahlgren guns. Divers for the Smithsonian Institution removed an anchor and dishes from the ship's dining hall during a 1967 expedition. Tecumseh's engine room gong has also been removed and is currently on display at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. The wreck site is marked and under US Coast Guard surveillance pending continued preservation efforts.
Read more about this topic: USS Tecumseh (1863)
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