Revenue cutters in American wars

The Revenue Cutter Service's national-security record begins with the Quasi-War, followed by combined operations in the Seminole Wars and cooperation with the Army and Navy in Mexico. Harriet Lane's Civil War shot and Hudson's rescue of USS Winslow show cutters moving between combat and rescue. First World War convoy duty ended with the loss of Tampa and members of Seneca's boarding party. The Espionage Act of 1917 gave the service authority to prevent sabotage, while the 1939 neutrality patrol had to expand because its initial assets were insufficient. These episodes supply the military background for later Coast Guard presence missions.