USRC Argus

USRC Argus (1791) was one of the original ten cutters[lower-alpha 1] built and used by the United States Revenue Cutter Service.[lower-alpha 2][3] Of the first ten cutters, the Argus was in service the longest.

Diagram of a sloop

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.[lower-alpha 3]

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. "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. "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. 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. 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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