CSS Robert E . Lee CSS " Robert E . Lee was a blockade runner for the Confederate States during the American Civil War that later served in the United States Navy as USS " Fort Donelson and in the Chilean Navy as Concepción . CSS " Robert E . Lee " . " Robert E . Lee " was originally the merchant ship " Giraffe " , a schooner - rigged , iron - hulled , oscillating - engined paddle - steamer with two stacks , built on the River Clyde in Scotland during the autumn of 1862 as a fast Glasgow - Belfast packet . Alexander Collie & Co . of Manchester acquired her for their blockade - running fleet , but were persuaded by renowned blockade - runner Lieutenant John Wilkinson , CSN , to sell her to the Confederate States Navy for the same £32 , 000 just paid . Her first voyage was into Old Inlet , Wilmington , North Carolina in January 1863 with valuable munitions and 26 Scottish lithographer s , eagerly awaited by the Confederate Government bureau of engraving and printing . On January 26 , Union intelligence maintained she " could be captured easily " at anchor in Ossabaw Sound , but this was not to be for another 10 months . Running out again , " Robert E . Lee " started to establish a nearly legendary reputation for blockade running by leaving astern blockader . Lieutenant Richard H . Gayle , CSN , assumed command in May 1863 , relieving Lieutenant John Wilkinson ; but Wilkinson was conning the ship again out of the Cape Fear River from Smithville , North Carolina on October 7 , 1863 , as recounted by Lieutenant Robert D . Minor , CSN , in a letter to Admiral Franklin Buchanan dated February 2 , 1864 , detailing the first venture to capture and liberate 2 , 000 Confederate prisoners at Johnson ' s Island , Sandusky , Ohio . " Robert E . Lee " transported Wilkinson , Minor , Lieutenant Benjamin P . Loyall and 19 other naval officers to Halifax , Nova Scotia with $ 35 , 000 in gold and a cotton cargo " subsequently sold at Halifax for $ 76 , 000 ( gold ) by the War Department — in all some $ 111 , 000 in gold , as the sinews of the expedition . " Thus Wilkinson was in Canada and Gayle commanding when " Robert E . Lee " ' s luck ran out on November 9 , 1863 , after 21 voyages in 10 months carrying out over 7 , 000 bales of cotton , returning with munitions invaluable to the Confederacy . She left Bermuda five hours after her consort , CSS " Cornubia " , only to be run down a few hours after her by the same blockader , . The two runners were conceded to be easily " the most noted that ply between Bermuda and Wilmington . " USS " Fort Donelson " . " Robert E . Lee " was condemned as a prize at Boston , Massachusetts , acquired by the United States Navy and placed in commission on June 29 , 1864 as USS " Fort Donelson " , with Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Thomas Pickering in command . " Fort Donelson " was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron , cruising in blockade of the North Carolina coast through the remainder of 1864 with brief periods of repair at Norfolk , Virginia . From January 13 to January 22 , 1865 she aided in the bombardment of Fort Fisher ' s batteries and landed ammunition supplies for the Union forces . " Fort Donelson " joined the fleet in attacking Fort Anderson on February 17 – February 18 . During March she cruised in company with to Bermuda , was present at City Point , Virginia when U . S . President Abraham Lincoln arrived on board " River Queen " on March 20 , and acted as guardship at Fort Fisher . She operated with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron until June , but when ordered to the West Gulf squadron was found to be in such poor condition that she returned to Norfolk . " Fort Donelson " was decommissioned on August 17 , 1865 at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania and sold in October 1865 . She subsequently returned to civilian employment under the name " Isabella " . " Concepción " . In 1866 the ship was purchased for $ 85 , 000 by the Chilean Navy and commissioned as " Concepción " , arriving at Valparaíso on August 22 . On September 3 , as the Spanish fleet had left the Pacific , after the Chincha Islands War of Chile - Perú against Spain . Commander José Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas was placed in command of " Concepción " , which saw service in southern Chile . The Chilean Navy sold " Concepción " on May 1 , 1868 ; her subsequent history is unknown .