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Lot 385
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Great Letters from the U.S. Revenue Service, 1795
Great Letters from the U.S. Revenue Service, 1795
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Description:

Revenue Marine
various, ca. 1795, 1838
Great Letters from the U.S. Revenue Service, 1795
Archive
This small archive of four letters details some of the challenges facing the U.S. Revenue Service. The first concerns an incident in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore in 1795. The author was a member of the crew of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Active, one of the first ten cutters to enter service. When launched at Baltimore in April 1791, the Active was commanded by Captain Simon Gross. After Gross resigned in 1792, David Porter (1780-1843) commanded the ship but also had difficulty attracting a crew at the low pay offered by the government. The Active was quite inactive throughout most of its career and was sold at auction in 1800 after being located grounded in the mud outside the Baltimore harbor. This letter may have been written to Robert Purviance (1733-1806), whom President George Washington appointed as collector of the Port of Baltimore in December 1794.

The other three are written to the controversial Collector of the Port of New York Jesse Hoyt. Appointed by President Martin Van Buren to clean up charges of embezzlement in the collector's office, Hoyt himself was dismissed fewer than three years later amidst charges of continued embezzlement. Two of the letters were written by Alexander V. Fraser, who went on to become an important commander in the Revenue Marine, instituting innovations, including promotions based on merit, adding marine engineers to the service, abolishing the use of slaves aboard the cutters, prohibiting alcohol use, improving the pay and conditions of the enlisted men, and developing training for officers. He also saw the development of a new type of cutter, the famous Harriet Lane, which entered the service in 1859 and saw action in both the U.S. Navy and, after capture in 1863, the Confederate merchant service during the Civil War.

[U.S. REVENUE CUTTERS.] Archive of four letters, 1795, 1838. Expected folds; some soiling and staining on first letter.

Contents and Excerpts
- Unknown to Unknown, Manuscript Letter (fragment), June 13, 1795, Revenue Cutter Active, Point Lookout. 4 pp., 7.5" x 9.25".
"From a recent affair which happened it appears that false reports have been spread respecting the same, but the malicious will ever lay plans to endeavour to injure the better to accomplish designs. I don't wish to take up much of your time on this but must beg leave to point out to you every particular, to and relative to what happened therefore I cannot be concise as I mean to state facts as near as possible. at 2 pm. on the 27th of may then turning down the petapsco under easy sail when between Curtis Creek and hawkins point a boat passing the cutter close under the ley, i did not speak the boat nor did i intend medling with her. I was spoke to by the skipper of the sd boat in the following manner. ‘You sail fast. I made him no answer, he repeats, i say you sail fast, i answered what is that you say[?] ask my A—e he replyd what says I do you mean to black guard me or do you know this vessel[?] G..d Dam you and your vessell too was his answer. I replyd you are very insulting what is it you mean by treating me thus heave to your boat.' Kiss my A..e you d—d son of a bitch you are a damd raskel was his answer. He refused heaving too his boat untill i compelld him but continued to bestow abuse on me. I went on board his boat the language made use of by him was nearly the same as before, such abuse I never received from man nor woud i have received them had I not been for the service engaged in my people is witness to all what past and stood amazed to see me thus treated. I demanded his papers for examination. here is my paper you Dd Raskel replyd the skiper threatening to kick me &c when on shore. I must acknowledge it is not decent to repeat his language it is the smallest part which i do repeat. But sir on examining his papers i found the boat to be the Mary belonging to Charles M. Brother of Luis creek then I easily accounted for the above received the connections in that family being such that I am fully convinced it was a plott, the conspirators conceiving the skipper of that boat a suitable black for the purpose, from every circumstance i cannot be mistaken it exactly agrees with what I have formerly experiencet.
"I took the boat back to the fort where I anchored the cutter it was now sundown. Captains Cissen and Gears of two brigs then riding quarantine came on board the cutter. These two men was witness to abuse which Christopher [duke?] Master of the boat was pleased to continue to bestow on me. Capt Cissen no longer able to even hear his abuse to me said that was he in my place he would take immediate satisfaction and was surprised to see me put up with what i did, and informed duke that he deserved severe punishment. My intention was to see what woud be done in such a case if no Justice or Satisfaction to be had at once quit this business. this said dukes at this time pretended I had hurt his brother when bringing his boat too. This sir is false, and it doubtless was a premeditated piece of business there was not a ball nor catridge on board the cutter the ammunition box with the made up catridges was forgot at home. This ammunition i conceive is for the purpose compelling such to bring too as may otherways refuse it, or the secretary of the treasury would not have ordered it for the use of the cutters and arms to expend it. Capt. Cissen's language to dukes altered his tune and to appearance he was sorry for the abuse he had given me, in the presence of these two masters, and all the [?] he begd that I woud think no more of it & forgive him. he acknowledged that he had treated me exceedingly ill, whether or no, he was real i will leave others to judge, for behold the [art?] of this employd vagabond—he asked me for some old rope to make him foresheets but I refused him several times, he still continued to ask for rope at last I gave him two pieces one of which was part old jib halliards he seemed very thankfull for this, he then askd for some provisions saying he had eat nothing all day I gave it him—he went off and hoped I would not mention or think more of what past prior to his going away he requested that I would take his pretended woundd boy and keep him for three years and the week following he was to bring him up. When dukes arrives at [?] week the tune was turned, there lay Mr Thomas in a small sloop of his own, takeing in a load of wood as I was informed and at that spott where they tribe was assembled. The week following i had a writt served on me for damages on the 8th inst was the day I left falls point last, and just as i was going on board to come to sail Capt Judson informed me, that old brotherson? had told him I had gave Christopher dukes rope to make up with him, and that the said dukes had or woud carry it to the custom house (a concerted plan the whole of it) I have related the whole affair to some of the first characters at town, they told me to make myself easy I coud not be injured but it mortifying to be thus treaty without any reason"

- William B. Whitehead, Autograph Letter Signed, to Collector Jesse Hoyt, November 12, 1838, US Cutter Rush. 1 p., 8" x 10".
"Having received this Instant Notification of the Extreme Illness of my Wife I have to request the indulgence of Leave of Absence for one week to repair to New Haven to visit her."

- Alexander V. Fraser, Autograph Letter Signed, to Collector Jesse Hoyt, November 17, 1838, US Revenue Brig Washington, New York. 1 p., 8" x 9".
"Upon examination I find that one of the chain cables on board this vessel is but thirty five fathoms long.... One of the Chains would answer belonging to the Alert, being of the proper size and sufficiently long. This vessel likewise stands in need of some articles of cordage and furniture which are now on board the Alert and of no use. By transferring them, expense would be saved."

- Alexander V. Fraser, Autograph Letter Signed, to Collector Jesse Hoyt, December 15, 1838, New York. 2 pp., 7.75" x 9.875".
"I have to report to you that from present appearances of weather &c Mess Smith Dimon & Comstock will have finished all the necessary alterations in three or four days, and that the U.S. Rev. Brig Washington under my command will then be in readiness to perform any duty upon the coast which may be required. In the meantime I shall take on board all the provisions, wood, water &c necessary for a two months cruize. I anticipate no difficulty in shipping a good crew at the same wages as was paid last winter for the crew of the Alert $18 for seamen. The Washington last winter carried seventy men but I am of opinion that forty independent of cooks, stewards &c will be all sufficient, and we shall then leave enough to spare to any vessels which we may meet in distress.... I have understood that the cruising ground of the Washington would be from New York to the Chesapeake Bay. I would respectfully suggest that by extending the cruize as far as Block Island to the Eastward would probably increase our usefulness by putting us on the track of vessels as well from Europe as from the South."

Historical Background
Congress established the United States Revenue Marine in 1790 on the recommendation of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Its purpose was to enforce the collection of customs. In 1894, Congress renamed it the Revenue Cutter Service.

A cutter was a small, shallow-draft vessel built for speed. The enabling legislation called for a fleet of ten cutters to be assigned to ports along the Atlantic Coast from New Hampshire to Georgia. Between 1790 and 1798, the Revenue Marine was the only armed maritime service of the United States, as the U.S. Navy had been disbanded after the Revolutionary War. Among their early duties was the interception of slave ships that were illegally importing slaves into the United States.

During the Quasi-War with France and the War of 1812, the Revenue Marine fought alongside the revived Navy or under its command. After the War of 1812, the Revenue Marine fought pirates in the Gulf of Mexico.

Jesse Hoyt (1792-1867) was born in Connecticut and moved to Albany, New York, where he studied law with Martin Van Buren. Admitted to the bar in 1819, he practiced law in partnership with Van Buren and future U.S. Attorney General Benjamin F. Butler. Hoyt moved to New York City, where he specialized in chancery cases. In 1838, President Van Buren appointed Hoyt as Collector of the Port of New York to replace Samuel Swartwout, who had been accused of embezzlement. In February 1841, Van Buren was forced to remove Hoyt in response to accusations that Hoyt had engaged in embezzlement. Hoyt resumed the practice of law in New York City.

Alexander V. Fraser (1804-1868) was born in New York and attended the Mathematical, Nautical, and Commercial School. He went to sea as a mate in the East India trade. By 1832, he was a master mariner and applied for a commission in the Revenue-Marine service. President Andrew Jackson signed his commission as a second lieutenant, and his first assignment was aboard the cutter Alert on patrol from Charleston, South Carolina. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1838, captain in 1842, and commandant in 1843. As the Revenue Marine Bureau's first commandant from 1843 to 1848, he oversaw a number of changes and improvements to the service. In 1848, he commanded the new cutter C. W. Lawrence in its historic voyage around Cape Horn to San Francisco, California. He was dismissed from the Revenue Marine for political reasons in 1856.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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