USRC Eagle USRC " Eagle " was one of the first ten cutters operated by the United States ' Revenue Cutter Service ( later to become the US Coast Guard ) . The " Eagle " has been often misidentified as the cutter " Pickering " , which was in fact not launched until 1798 ( and so was not among the first ten cutters ) . " Eagle " was built in Savannah , Georgia for service in that state ' s waters . Savannah remained her homeport throughout her career as a revenue cutter . Description . The only surviving documentation regarding the cutter " Eagle " ' s construction , dimensions , or her rig is a description written when she was sold in 1799 : . . . that the said ship or vessel has one deck and two masts , and that her length is fifty five feet ten inches , her breadth seventeen feet six inches , her depth six feet eight inches and that she measures fifty five 66 / 95 tons ; that she is square sterned long quarter has Quarter Deck Badges and no Galleries and an Eagle head . Operational service . Some documentation does survive that provides a glimpse at her duties , however . Cutters typically were assigned to duty by the local collector of customs and as such they carried out a myriad of tasks and " Eagle " was no exception . She was assigned to enforce the quarantine restrictions imposed during the outbreak of yellow fever in Philadelphia in 1793 . For that task she lay off Cockspur Island and prevented any vessel carrying infected persons from entering Savannah Harbor . There are glimpses in the records of some of her adventures as a revenue cutter . She had a small hand in the establishment of the United States Navy when , in 1794 , " Eagle " delivered woodcutting supplies to contractors on St . Simons Island . The contractors were to supply wood for the frigate s recently authorized by the United States Congress , an authorization that marks the birth of the nation ' s second oldest sea - going service . The Lynx incident . In 1795 , the cutter was on an " unofficial " mission ; Senator Pierce Butler , from South Carolina , needed to transport a cargo of wool to his plantation on St . Simons Island and somehow convinced either Hendrick Fisher , the acting commanding officer of " Eagle " as Howell was not available - or the local customs collector - that " Eagle " should carry out this task . ( According to some documentation discovered by Florence Kern , " Eagle " ' s commanding officer " did not feel obliged to be at the helm of " Eagle " at all times , " and therefore left her in the care of her first mate , Hendrick Fisher , on many occasions . ) Trouble appeared off Jekyll Island , when the Royal Navy ship sloop , under the command of Captain John Poo Beresford , fired a shot across the cutter ' s bow . Fisher attempted to heave - to , but the Senator ordered him to sail on . " Lynx " then began to fire continuously as " Eagle " sailed towards the shoal waters on the north point of Jekyll Island . As " Lynx " drew too much water to continue the chase , Beresford sent his pinnace and cutter , under Lieutenant Alex Skene , in pursuit . They quickly overtook the schooner and came on board , demanding to know why " Eagle " had not come about when fired upon by a vessel of His Majesty ' s navy . After learning the schooner was in fact a revenue vessel of the U . S . government , the Royal Navy lieutenant returned with his men to their boats and hence to their sloop . In the ensuing international furor that this clash engendered , Beresford stated that " Lynx " was outside the 12 mile limit and noted that the schooner was not flying any flag . The national ensign was in fact not displayed on board " Eagle " for unexplained reasons but was instead stored in the captain ' s cabin . " Eagle " did apparently display some sort of small pennant , but it was not visible to " Lynx " . Fate . She was sold on 14 September 1799 for $ 595 . 00 . Crew . John Howell , Master ; 1793 - 1799 . Hendrick Fisher , First Mate , 1793 - 1798 ( ? ) < br > John Wood , Second Mate , 1793 - 1794 . < br > James Christian , Second Mate , 1794 - 1795 . < br > Benjamin Forsyth , Second Mate , 1795 – 1798 ; promoted to First Mate in 1798 ( ? ) < br > William Duncan ( died while a seaman on Eagle in 1797 ) .