What was it like to break the color barrier at the Coast Guard Academy in the 1960's? What fate awaited those who answered President John F. Kennedy's call to "ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country"? What became of the Black pioneers? And He said unto me WRITE, for these words are TRUE. A Voice of Prophecy. Member #1015 Adventurers Club of LA.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Reflections on Hopley Yeaton, The Father Of The Coast Guard, a Slave Owner. Nothing Will Change That.Leave The Tomb Alone.
Hopley Yeaton is the Father of The Coast Guard. http://www.uscg.mil/history/faqs/firoff.asp Hopley Yeaton (1739 – May 14, 1812) was the first officer commissioned (March 21, 1791) under theConstitution of the United States byGeorge Washington into the Revenue Marine, (later known as the Revenue Cutter Service) which was one of the forerunners of the modern day United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard was later created when the United States Congress merged the Revenue Cutter Service with the US Lifesaving Service in 1915.
Yeaton was a veteran of the Continental Navy and the commanding officer of the Revenue Marine cutter Scammel.
Yeaton probably brought along his slave, Senegal, during the Scammel's
patrols as was this practice was permitted by the Treasury Department at
this time. Yeaton fired three of his crew after their first few months
of service. The men had been in "open rebellion" over issues of pay and
daily food rations—particularly after they learned that their fellow
sailors on board the Massachusetts received more and varied foods each day than they did.
Eagle Cruise to Transport the Remains of CAPT Hopley Yeaton
-George Self '79 "The Summer of 1975 was my Swab Summer. For our Eagle
training cruise we took a bus from New London to Portland, ME to meet up
with Eagle at the Maine State Pier. We sailed Eagle to Lubec, Maine to
transport the remains of CAPT Hopley Yeaton back to the US Coast Guard
Academy. I still remember how beautiful the Maine coastline was and how
dramatic the tides and currents were as we sailed the Bay of Fundy. My
CGA '79 Classmates and I went ashore to escort the remains of CAPT
Yeaton back on Eagle. We then took turns standing watch over CAPT Yeaton
as we sailed for home. When we sailed up the Thames River, I remember
being able to see my home on Thames Street in New London. It was real
treat to be a Blue Jay up on a yard arm as we returned to my home town.
Bringing CAPT Yeaton remains to the US Coast Guard Academy was an honor
and an adventure I will never forget."
(Photo courtesy of Lubec Historical Society - www.mainememory.net)
Monuments
Captain Hopley Yeaton Memorial Coast Guard Academy – New London, Connecticut
The tomb of the first commissioned officer of the Revenue Marine,
Hopley Yeaton, now lies on the Academy's grounds. He was originally
buried in Lubec, Maine, but in 1975 his burial site was threatened by
modernization. The Corps of Cadets sailed the barque Eagle to Lubec where his remains were exhumed and laid to rest at the Academy!!! Hopley Yeaton Walk of History Plaque
Coast Guard Station Grand Haven – Grand Haven, Michigan
On August 2, 2008, in a bid to help affirm Grand Haven as "Coast
Guard City USA," the Walk of History was revealed to the public. The
first point of history was the Hopley Yeaton Plaque, which was
ceremonially unveiled by Vice Adm. Clifford Pearson and Andrew Yeaton, a
direct descendant of Hopley Yeaton.
References
Florence Kern. Hopley Yeaton's U.S. Revenue Cutter Scammel, 1791-1798. "The most effectual check to the mischiefs. [sic]" Alised Enterprises, 1975, PO Box 1514, Great Falls, Va, 22066.
One of my special memories was the day I got a letter from U.S. Coast
Guard Lieutenant James Heydenreich, asking me if I could give him any
information about Hopley Yeaton, the first officer to receive a seagoing
commission from President George Washington in 1791, who had spent the
last few years of his life living in Lubec. I had never heard of him but
I contacted a few older residents and found out that Hopley Yeaton had
settled on a farm in North Lubec in 1809 at the age of 70 and was active
in community affairs, including the incorporation of the town of Lubec.
Being a member of the Masonic Lodge, he helped establish a Masonic
Chapter in Eastport and urged the government to build a lighthouse at
West Quoddy Head, which they did during the last year of his service in
1809.
Further information revealed that he died on May 12, 1812 and was buried
in a small cemetery behind a private dwelling in North Lubec, which
contained his and a few other small gravestones. Thus began a very
interesting and historical chain of events that I will never forget.
Several Coast Guard officers joined Lt. Heydenreich in obtaining all the
information they could concerning his life in the service and after
retirement. Even though a hall at the Coast Guard Academy and a Coast
Guard cutter were named after Hopley Yeaton many years ago, it was felt
that too much time had gone by with no recognition. It was decided that
his remains should be taken from the remote grave in North Lubec and
removed to a special monument on the grounds of the Coast Guard Academy
in New London, Connecticut.
On November 1, 1974, five Coast Guard Academy cadets, a few Coast Guard
officers, a Lubec undertaker and one from New London and several
onlookers watched as the cadets, armed with shovels, spades and a pick
axe began to dig on a straight line behind the gravestone. As the
excavation reached a 4-foot depth, the son of the Lubec undertaker
probed the dirt with an iron bar and struck what seemed to be wood.
Using a spade, he removed enough dirt to enable the anxious watchers to
see what appeared to be the top of a wooden box. The cadets continued to
dig until the whole shape of the
wooden box was exposed. The two undertakers decided it would not be
feasible to try to remove the casket in one piece, so the cover, which
was just laid over it, was handed to the cadets. It was in excellent
condition, thought to be made of pine, and the inner side of it
resembled a smooth, beautifully grained counter top recently finished.
Human bones visible in the water-filled casket were removed by the
undertakers and placed in a plastic bag to be preserved. The remains of
the coffin were taken up in pieces.
Late that afternoon, the remains of Captain Yeaton were placed in a
concrete vault and buried in a grave at West Quoddy Lighthouse where it
would remain until a suitable monument could be established at the Coast
Guard Academy.
August 19, 1975 was an exciting day in Lubec. The Coast Guard Training
Ship, Eagle, had arrived the night before and was anchored in Johnson's
Bay where we could plainly see her from our house. She was there to take
the remains of Hopley Yeaton to the Coast Guard Academy. They had been
taken from a temporary grave at West Quoddy Head Light and brought to
the site of his original grave in North Lubec in a flag-draped casket.
Shortly before 10:00 a.m., my husband and I joined about 200 people,
including 75 cadets from the Eagle and Coast Guard officials from the
Academy and the First District, to listen to the brief ceremony that was
opened with a prayer by Chaplain Frederick K. Brink who also spoke of
the important role that Captain Yeaton played during his years of
service in patrolling the coast against smugglers. Rear Admiral James P.
Steward, U.S. Coast Guard commander from the First Coast Guard District
in Boston, read aloud the story of the life of Hopley Yeaton. Following
the closing prayer, the casket was lifted by six cadets from its
resting place near the new stone plaque placed over
the original gravesite by the Coast Guard, and carried along the dirt
road to the pier down on the shore where it was placed on board the
Coast Guard cutter, Point Hannon, from Jonesport to be transferred
to the Eagle. Two platoons of cadets followed the casket bearers accompanied by the beat of drums.
A few hours later, we were among a large group of guests that was taken
on board the Point Hannon to be transported to the Eagle for a delicious
lunch and a tour of the ship. After which, Admiral Stewart presented an
enlarged copy of Captain Yeaton's commission to Arthur McCurdy,
chairman of the Lubec Board of Selectmen. It was later hung on the wall
at the town office. As our visit ended, we were taken back to the boat
ramp on the Point Hannon and all agreed that it had been a memorable
visit. Later that afternoon, we went down to West Quoddy Head Park and
watched the Eagle as she sailed by with all sails up, bound for the
Academy and Yeaton's final resting place.
On Sunday, October 19, 1975, I was with a small group of Lubec residents
to attend the ceremony of the dedication of the monument placed on the
final grave of Captain Hopley Yeaton at the Coast Guard Academy. An
impressive service was held in the Memorial Chapel with speakers
representing the Armed Forces, the Masonic Lodge and friends and
relatives from his home state of New Hampshire. The National Anthem was
played by the U.S. Coast Guard Band and the anthem God Who Heard Our
Father's Voice was sung by the Coast Guard Academy Idlers.
Following the benediction by Commander Norman A. Ricard, Academy
chaplain, everyone left the chapel and walked a short distance to the
spot where the square, box-like stone monument rested on a grassy knoll
next to the chapel. A ribbon cutting ceremony was performed by Coast
Guard officials. After which, a reception was held at the Officer's
Mess.
Prior to the dedication ceremony, we were among the guests to assemble
at the library, one section of which was the Coast Guard Museum, and
later, we were given a tour of the campus by the cadets.
Needless to say, this trip to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New
London, Connecticut and the events leading up to it will always remain
one of the most special events in my life.
Hopley Yeaton was born near Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1740 and went
to sea at an early age. He became a merchant captain as a young man and
saw service in the Continental Navy during the War for Independence in
1776. He was active with the Sons of Liberty, served as an officer on
board the Continental frigates Raleigh and Deane, and commanded the
cutters Scammel, New Hampshire and the Governor Gilman of the U.S.
Revenue Cutter Service.
In 1790, a Revenue Marine Service was formed with ten cutters. On March
21, 1791, President George Washington appointed Hopley Yeaton as the
first seagoing officer of the United States. His
commission was signed by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson,
and he was assigned to command the cutter Scammel for patrol duty along
the coast from New Hampshire to Calais, Maine. Widespread smuggling and
piracy were a constant and growing menace along the entire length of the
coastal area and Captain Yeaton was involved in many serious
encounters. He successfully enforced maritime law along the sea border
in Canada, was the first to propose formal training of young men for
service aboard cutters and served his country well. The Marine Service
later became the Coast Guard and Hopley Yeaton was named “Father of the
Coast Guard.”
This story appeared in the
September 2005 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition
contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story
generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print
edition.
Setting the course to victory with the U.S. Coast Guard / L.W. Bentley, U.S.C.C.R. Prints and Photographs Division.
Most people know the United States Coast Guard as a military branch
that provides local maritime safety and law enforcement, with service
men and women patrolling America’s shorelines and answering distress
calls after boating accidents. However, the USCG has incorporated a
number of functions throughout its more than 224-year career as the
“oldest, continuously serving sea service.”
Today’s Coast Guard is actually an amalgamation of five former
independent Federal agencies: the Revenue Cutter Service, the Lighthouse
Service, the Steamboat Inspection Service, the Bureau of Navigation and
the Lifesaving Service.
The Coast Guard’s official history began on Aug. 4, 1790, when
President George Washington signed the Tariff Act that authorized the
construction of 10 vessels. The United States Revenue Cutter Service, as
it became known, used these vessels, or “cutters,” to enforce federal
tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling.
First Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton actually proposed
the “system of cutters” and urged Congress to establish this service as
the new nation was struggling financially following the Revolutionary
War.
“A few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the entrances of our
ports, might at a small expense be made useful sentinels of the laws,”
he wrote in the essay “The Utility of the Union in Respect to Revenue,” part of The Federalist Papers.
The Library has a very significant collection of Hamilton’s papers. In
fact, a few years ago, the institution received a gift of a letter
written by Hamilton that concerns the per diem payments for rations
issued to seamen on board the cutters.
“This is certainly not the most significant letter
Alexander Hamilton ever wrote,” explained Julie Miller, early American
specialist in the Library’s Manuscript Division. “It is important,
however, because it shows Hamilton at work establishing the operating
procedures of the Revenue Cutter Service very soon after it was
founded.”
Hopley Yeaton commission signed by Washington and Jefferson. Photo by Amanda Reynolds.
The Manuscript Division also holds the March 21,1791, certificate
signed by President George Washington and countersigned by Thomas
Jefferson as secretary of state commissioning Hopley Yeaton as the first
officer of the Revenue Service.
The service expanded in size and responsibilities as the nation grew.
Because the Continental Navy was disbanded in 1785, the Revenue Service
was the only maritime force available to the new government. The
cutters also served as warships protecting the coast. Since then, the
Coast Guard has fought in almost every war since the Constitution became
the law of the land in 1789.
Other responsibilities of the cutter service included protecting the
country’s strategic natural resources with the Timber Act of 1822,
cruising coastlines for those in distress and, after the Titanic sank in
1912, conducting international ice patrols.
Revenue Cutter Bear at Sitka, Ala. 1890-1900. Prints and Photographs Division.
The Coast Guard has helped to protect the environment for more than
180 years. With the purchase of Alaska in 1867, the ecological
responsibilities of the Revenue Cutter Service were greatly increased.
Sealing was a huge problem as fur seals were being hunted into
extinction due to the value of their coats.
The Library’s Manuscript Division holds records from the U.S. Revenue
Cutter Service, including a journal and letter book detailing voyages
of several cutters. In entries dated 1889-1890, mentions are made of the
cutter Bear and its Alaskan patrols looking for sealers and its efforts
in tamping down the illegal seal trade.
The Library’s collection of papers of
Naval officer Elliot Snow includes notebooks from Horatio D. Smith, who
was an officer in the Revenue Cutter Service. Smith also documented
voyages of various cutters, including the cutter Golden Gate doing “good
service” during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and transporting
President Taft across the bay in 1909, and the cutter McCullough being
the first to pass through the Suez Canal.
Notebook documenting voyages of cutter Golden Gate. Photo by Amanda Reynolds.
In 1848, Congress passed an appropriation for $10,000 to allow for
“the better preservation of life and property from shipwrecks.” This
system eventually grew into a federal agency called the United States
Life-Saving Service. Operating from small stations throughout the
nation, the service saved tens of thousands of people in distress
between 1878 and 1915.
In 1915, an act of Congress merged the Revenue Cutter Service with
the U. S. Life-Saving Service, and thus the U.S. Coast Guard was born.
The nation now had a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at
sea and enforcing the nation’s maritime laws.
Additional agencies were later merged into the Coast Guard.
While the cutter service was established in 1790, Congress had
created the Lighthouse Establishment the year before – only the ninth
law passed by the new government – and took federal jurisdiction over
lighthouses then in existence. It continued to exist as a separate
agency within the Treasury Department until 1939 when President Franklin
Roosevelt ordered its transfer to the Coast Guard. With this executive
order, the Coast Guard began to maintain the nation’s lighthouses and
all maritime aids to navigation.
The Steamboat Inspection Service and the Bureau of Navigation existed
separately before being combined in 1932 and reorganized and renamed in
1936 as the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation. Essentially
both provided for safety inspections and the safeguarding of life and
property while at sea.
During World War II President Roosevelt transferred the bureau to the
Coast Guard and in 1946 the shift was made permanent, thereby placing
merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under the service’s
purview.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHITE SUMAC. Prints and Photographs Division
In 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the Coast Guard
transferred from the Department of Treasury, where it had been since the
Revenue Cutter Service was founded, to the newly created Department of
Transportation. Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Coast
Guard was again transferred by executive authority when President George
W. Bush moved the military branch to the newly established Department
of Homeland Security.
Other Coast Guard-related resources at the Library include the USCG Historian’s Office Collection,;
the papers of Charles Frederick Shoemaker, who was chief of the Revenue
Cutter Service in the early 1900s; and the diary of William Cooke
Pease, service officer, written while in command of the cutter Jefferson
Davis on voyage from Charleston, S.C., to San Francisco, Calif.
In addition, searching the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog for “coast guard” will deliver a variety of photographs. As part of the Veterans History Project’s “Experiencing War” series, read and listen to first-person accounts of men and women who served in the USCG.
I am a thoroughly civilized, humane, cosmopolitan, polished, restrained, enjoyable, entertaining Info-maniac. I am a staunch exponent of individual dignity, freedom, equal access to legal services, and equal protection of the law. Here I hope to demonstrate my emotional restraint, humbleness of sentiment, psychological subtlety, lucid style, and simple language, without evading political reality or eternal truth. Daily I am excited that I have the right to create the beginning of a new self and to challenge old habits and attitudes I no longer choose to accept. I choose to relax in the present with my direction firmly in mind. I have an enormous capacity for creative and clever ideas and thoughts. It is phenomenal what I can do. I am capable of so much learning and absorbing a lot of information. My potential is a source of pleasant surprise for me.
Each day, I increase in knowledge, skills, strength, faith, and abilities.With each adventure, the boundary hemming in my potential expands easily to accomodate my growth and achievements.
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