USRC Argus

Diagram of a sloop

USRC Argus (1791) was one of the original ten cutters[a] built and used by the United States Revenue Cutter Service.[b][3] Of the first ten cutters, the Argus was in service the longest.

History

Argus was built and launched in 1791 at New London, Connecticut where she remained stationed.[4] The first-named Argus was sold in 1804.[3] Argus was designed as a sloop.[5] She was 47 feet 9 inches (14.55 m) long by 16 feet 3 inches (4.95 m) wide and had a draft of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m).[4] She displaced about 35 short tons (32 t).[6]

Jonathan Maltbie was her first master. He died on 11 Feb. 1798 while still in command of the Argus.[7] He served in the Continental Navy during and after the American Revolutionary War. His last assignment was as a first lieutenant on the frigate USS Trumbull.[c]

Notes

  1. ↑ The term cutter came from the boats used by Great Britain's Royal Customs Service.[1] Modern Coast Guard cutters are any larger ship no matter what the type.[1]
  2. ↑ Also called the Revenue Marine. Together with the United States Life-Saving Service, the United States Revenue Cutter Service formed the United States Coast Guard on 28 January 1915.[2]
  3. ↑ The Trumbull was the last of the frigates in the Continental Navy.[8] It was defeated in battle on August 29, 1781.[8] Four years later the Continental Navy disbanded.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Eighteenth, Nineteenth & Early Twentieth Century Revenue Cutters". United States Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Robert Scheina. "The Coast Guard At War". United States Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The First Ten Cutters; The first commissioned U.S. Revenue cutters". United States Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Paul H. Silverstone, The Sailing Navy, 1775-1854 (London; New York: Routledge, 2006), p. 77
  5. ↑ "Argus, 1791". United States Coast Guard. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Coast Guard History" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "Lt Jonathan Maltbie 1744-1798". The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Handbook of American Military History, eds. Jerry K. Sweeney; Kevin B. Byrne (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006), p. 6

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