USRC Woodbury (1864)

USRC "Woodbury" (1864) was a revenue cutter acquired by the Navy during the American Civil War. She remained in service throughout the Spanish-American War and was finally decommissioned in 1915, narrowly avoiding additional service in World War I.

Commissioned in 1864 as a revenue cutter

"Mahoning" -- a steam-powered revenue cutter built in 1863 and 1864 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by J. W. Lynn & Sons -- was placed in commission in the Revenue Cutter Service (alternatively called the Revenue Marine) on 18 July 1864.

East Coast operations

She patrolled the American coastline from Massachusetts to Maine for the major portion of her active career. On 5 June 1873, she was renamed "Levi Woodbury". She continued her patrols of the New England coast through the last quarter of the 19th century.

Spanish-American war operations with the U.S. Navy

Soon after the war with Spain broke out in April of 1898, the revenue cutter began operations with the Navy. Ordered to duty with the North Atlantic Fleet on 24 March, two days later, she received orders to report to Norfolk, Virginia, and arrived there on 2 April.

Known simply as "Woodbury" in Navy records, the revenue cutter conducted operations with the North Atlantic Fleet from 8 May to the end of hostilities in August. Though she may have participated in troop convoys to Cuba, the cutter's primary duty consisted of blockading the port of Havana, Cuba. She took no prizes during her brief naval career and appears to have been involved in no engagements.

Returned to the Treasury Department by the Navy

Control of the cutter was returned to the U.S. Treasury Department on 17 August 1898, and she returned to her former base at Portland, Maine, on 16 November to resume patrols of the New England coast. That routine occupied her for the next 17 years.

Decommissioning and sale

On 19 July 1915, the revenue cutter was placed out of commission at Portland. She was sold on 10 August to Thomas Butler & Co., of Boston, Massachusetts.

References

See also

* United States Navy
* American Civil War

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w10/woodbury-ii.htm USS Woodbury]