There, the side-wheeler was fitted out for her new duties as a revenue cutter and, following repairs and alterations, was ordered to Florida waters on 28 November. Reaching Key West on 8 December, Wilderness operated out of that port for a year, before she shifted up the east coast to Charleston, S.C., on 14 December 1866 for repairs. Wilderness subsequently operated in the Gulf of Mexico, ranging from New Orleans to Veracruz, Mexico. She apparently operated out of New Orleans, in the gulf, through the summer of 1872. Ordered to New York for repairs on 2 September 1872, Wilderness reached New York City on the 19th.
Records indicate that the ship was to be dismantled.
Now, whether or not this means that the name was retained and an entirely new ship was built is not entirely clear. In any event, she is listed as being ordered to New Orleans for duty on 3 July. Sailing on the 7th, she arrived at her new duty station on the 19th. Dix on 11 June 1873. Ala. The cutter operated in the Florida Keys in the spring of 1880 and into the early 1880's.