This, an outgrowth of the revenue cutter service, formed part of the division of revenue cutter service prior to its organization as a separate service under the act approved 18 June 1878. On 28 Jan. 1915, the two services were again fused.
In the Civil War, 1861-65.—The service was conspicuous and valuable throughout this period from the attempted relief of Sumter in April 1861 to the close of hostilities in 1865. The Harriet Lane with the navy at the capture of the fortifications at Hatteras Inlet; the Forward rendered support and as sistance to General Butler at Annapolis, Md.; the Miami covered the landing of troops at Lynn Haven Bay for the recapture of Norfolk; the cutter Naugatuck took part in the attack on Sewell's Point, led the naval fleet up the James River and participated in the bombardment of Drewry's Bluff, 15 May 1862; the Nemaha ren dered efficient aid to the army and navy on the South Atlantic Coast, received on board General Sherman at Fort McAllister, Savannah, Georgia, at the end of his emarch to the sea,) and con veyed him to the naval fleet below. The For ward, Brown, Agassiz,•Toucy and Antietam rendered important service in the waters of North Carolina, while the Jackson, Hercules, Reliance, Tiger and Allen performed excellent service in the Chesapeake, co-operating with the naval forces m the gunboat flotilla in those waters.
In Peace from 1867 to achieve ments of the service were numerous and varied during times of peace, and honorable, heroic in both peace and war. It blazed the way to and through Alaska, and for many years from the date of the acquisition of that ter ritory in 1867, except for the occasional visit of a naval vessel, was the only service to exercise authority or to display the national emblem in the waters of that coast from Sitka to Bering Sea, and the Arctic Ocean to Point Barrow. It i•on guard in the waters of Alaska from early in May until late in December of every year, rendering aid to 'shipping, caring for the ship wrecked, and assisting to their homes the un fortunate and the destitute. Its surgeons yearly prescribed for and as far as possible aid the sick, and hardly 'a year goes by in which more than a thousand cases are not treated or relieved by the medical officers of our cutters in Alaskan ' waters. In these waters alone the service has rescued and brought home from the Arctic Circle hundreds of shipwrecked whalers, and'' others, who, but for the timely aid of the serv ice, must have perished.
In the Spanish-American War, 1898.— Hardly had the war commenced when the' revenue steamer McCulloch, bound for San Francisco, was overhauled at Singapore, by cable, directing her to report at Hongkong to Commodore Dewey, commanding the Asiatic fleet. The ship made a quick run to Hong
kong, joined Dewey, and accompanied him in his Manila campaign, performed fine service, and brought to a waiting world the first news wired from Hongkong of the victory of Manila Bay. That ship, the McCulloch, re mained with Dewey until November following, and incurred the very highest praise on his part.
At the battle of Cardenas, 11 May, the rev enue cutter Hudson, Lieut. Frank H. New comb, R.C.S., commanding, sustained the fight against the gunboats and shore batteries of the enemy, side by side with the naval torpedo-boat Winslow and when Ensign Bagley and half the crew of the latter-named vessel had been killed and her commander wounded, rescued from certain destruction the vessel and the bal ance of the crew, under the furious fire of the enemy's guns.
President McKinley made the work of the McCulloch and Hudson the subject of a special message to Congress, in terms of high com mendation and praise and as a reward of merit in the case of Hodgsdon of the McCulloch (there being no higher grade in the revenue cutter service to which he could be promoted) that he be retired from active service on the full pay of his grade and in recognition of the heroic gallantry noted in the letter of the Secre tary of the Navy, the bestowal of a gold medal of honor upon Lieutenant Newcomb, of the Hudson, and silver medals of honor to each of his officers and bronze medals to each of his crew. It will be noted that .the only gold and silver medals bestowed by Congress for services in this war were those for officers of the rev enue cutter service. There were in co-opera tion with the navy during this war, 13 cutters carrying'61 guns, 98 officers and 562 en listed men. Of these eight cutters (43 guns); 58 officers and 339 men were in Rear-Admiral Sampson's fleet and on the Havana blockade. One cutter, 6 guns, 10 officers and 95 men in Dewey's fleet and 4 cutters, 12 guns, 30 officers and 128 men co-operated with the navy on the Pacific Coast. Three other cutters, with 25 officers and 210 men, were ordered into co-operation, but the war 'closed before they were equipped or could get to the front. There were in active co-operation with the army and navy together in all 20 cutters, carrying 71' guns, 131 officers and 725 men. The services performed by the vessels of the revenue cutter service in co-operation with the navy during this war were officially acknowledged by the commanders of the fleets with which they served.
On 28 Jan. 1915 the revenue cutter and life saving services were merged into the coast guard. See COAST GUARD; LIFE SAVING SERV ICE, THE UNITED STATES.