NCGMA Newsletter 2023 (Summer)

Upper Left: There are no known images of the Revenue Cutter
Argus. This image is a sloop in New York Harbor circa 1880. The
Argus was most likely built in a similar fashion. (Hudson River
Maritime Museum archive)
Bottom Left: Burning of New London; oil on canvas painted by
John Trumbull. John Trumbull (June 6, 1756 – November 10,
1843) was an American artist of the early independence period,
notable for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary
War.
Right: Engraving of Continental Army General Jedediah Huntington
by H. B. Hall.
role in the town’s rebuilding efforts, constructing
vessels to meet the demands of a resurgent
maritime industry—including one of the ships
for the newly formed Revenue-Marine.
At this time, Continental Army General Jedediah
Huntington, a Revolutionary War veteran and
graduate of Harvard University, was serving as
the newly appointed customs collector for New
London—one of the designated cutter seaports.
Huntington was instrumental in overseeing the
construction and outfitting of Connecticut’s
assigned cutter, which would be named
Argus. The vessel was a sloop, a one-masted
sailboat with a fore-and-aft mainsail and a
jib. He contracted a local shipbuilding family
and worked closely with the commissioned
ship captain, Jonathan Maltbie, a Continental
Navy veteran and respected mariner. Once
the vessel’s construction was completed in New
London, the cutter was moved several miles
down the shoreline to the town known today
as Niantic, where it was rigged and outfitted at
Beckwith’s boatyard in Keeney Cove. The vessel
began patrolling Connecticut and Rhode Island
waters in October 1791.
When not at sail, the Argus split its time
between its mooring in New London’s harbor
and a station in New Haven. Living up to the
region’s shipbuilding reputation, Argus proved
to be crafted of the highest quality methods and
materials. The longest-lasting of the original 10
cutters, the Argus served an outstanding 13
years of service—a testament to its superior
construction.
During its life in service, the Argus played a
crucial role in enforcing Alexander Hamilton’s
vision of maritime law. Although few substantial
records survive concerning any of the first 10
cutters’ activities, various accounts indicate that
these vessels most likely served a wide variety
of needs, including boarding incoming and
outgoing vessels, ensuring that all cargoes were
properly documented, sealing cargo holds of
incoming vessels, and seizing vessels that were
in violation of the law. The Revenue-Marine also
took on the responsibility of aiding and assisting
troubled vessels and, in 1832, revenue cutters
were ordered to conduct winter cruises to assist
mariners in need. In 1837, Congress codified
this practice as an official part of its regulations.
The Revenue Cutter Argus Promenade at the
National Coast Guard Museum will serve as
a gateway for museum patrons, residents, and
visitors to the city to explore more than two
centuries of maritime and Coast Guard history.
Every view from the Promenade brings to life
the history of this important harbor and illustrates
its maritime relevance today. Looking a short
distance south from the Promenade is where the
Argus was once likely stationed. In the same
vicinity along City Pier, the USCGC Barque
Eagle, the Nation’s only remaining active military
sailing training vessel will soon be homeported.
Further along the Thames River waterfront, a
stunning reproduction of the historic early 19th
century top-sail schooner La Amistad is docked.
Facing inland from the Promenade, buildings
predating the Revolutionary War stand as
beacons of the town’s historical significance, its
cultural heritage, and architectural importance.
Across the river, it is easy to see that the
shipbuilding industry remains robust. Today, the
ships being built are no longer wooden sloops
or schooners, but state-of-the-art submarines at
the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard.
Indeed, the Argus Promenade is the heart of
maritime history in all directions!
SUMMER 2023
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