Corea (ship)

The Corea was an armed store ship of the British Royal Navy. It had a capacity of 336 tons. It was captured by New Bedford fishermen during the American Revolution, and later served as a whaling ship in the Pacific Ocean, with a home port of New London, Connecticut.

Numerous sources list this vessel as intentionally sunk as part of the Stone Fleet in 1861 during the American Civil War. However, this may be incorrect as shipwreck expert E. Lee Spence's thoroughly documented book "Treasures of the Confederate Coast" states "Although purchased to be sunk as part of the Stone Fleet, she was actually transferred for the use of the army and was still afloat as late as January 8, 1862." ["Treasures of the Confederate Coast: the "real Rhett Butler" & Other Revelations" by Dr. E. Lee Spence, (Narwhal Press, Charleston/Miami, 1995) [ISBN 1886391017] [ISBN 1886391009] , p. 151]

References

* [http://www.du.edu/~ttyler/ploughboy/sbnotes.htm Corea History, note 269]
* [http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1861/december/rat-hole-squadron.htm The Rat Hole Squadron from "Harper's Weekly 14 Dec 1861]