USRC Ingham ( 1832 ) The United States Revenue Cutter " Ingham " was one of the 13 Coast Guard cutters of the " Morris - Taney " class . Named for Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D . Ingham , she was the first United States warship to engage a Mexican ship in combat ; and for her service in that battle , a newspaper called her Semper Paratus ( always ready ) , which later became the motto of the United States Coast Guard . " Ingham " was sold in 1836 to the Republic of Texas and served in the Texas Navy until she was captured as a prize - of - war by Mexico and was rechristened " Independencia " . History of the cutter . The Morris - Taney class cutters were the backbone of the Revenue Cutter Service for more than a decade from 1830 - 1840 . Samuel Humphreys designed these cutters for roles as diverse as fighting pirates , privateers , combating smugglers and operating with naval forces . He designed the vessels on a naval schooner concept . They had Baltimore Clipper lines . The vessels were built by Webb and Allen , and designed by Isaac Webb . They resembled Humphreys ' design , but had one less port . Career . The " Ingham " was initially stationed at New Orleans , Louisiana . She did a short term of duty in Baltimore , Maryland during late 1831 and returned to duty in New Orleans in January 1832 . The revenue cutters in New Orleans were increasingly monitoring the situation in Texas , because settlers and merchant traffic between the United States and the Mexican province of Texas mostly traveled by sea and usually through New Orleans . Starting in 1835 , the central Mexican government attempted to collect excise taxes and disrupt trafficking in slaves into Texas . This led to seizures of Texan - owned and American - owned and flagged vessels , the most famous being the American merchant ship " Martha " . She was seized on 7 May 1835 , by the Mexican schooner " Montezuma " and the Americans on - board were held as prisoners . The " Ingham " , under Captain Ezekiel Jones , was dispatched to the Texas coast to monitor the situation and on 14 June , near Brazos Santiago , " Montezuma " fired on " Ingham " and the fire was returned . There is some discrepancy as to whether the Mexican warship was trying to evade battle once she realized the identity of the ship she had fired on , but Captain Jones did not allow " Montezuma " to evade the battle . Eventually the Mexican schooner ran aground and " Ingham " broke off the battle , having fired 13 guns . These became the first conflict between Mexican and United States forces and are considered by some historians as the first broadside of the Texas Revolution . The following day General Martin Cos ordered the release of the " Martha " ' s passengers . In January 1836 the " Ingham " was sold to the Republic of Texas for $ 1 , 710 and Captain Jones was duly transferred to another command within the Revenue Service . The newspaper , the New Orleans " Bee " wrote about Jones , " his prompt and efficient action in the affair of the " Montezuma " , has taught a neighboring state a valuable lesson of respect for our flag . . . " and concerning the " Ingham " , the paper wrote , " the vessel is entitled to bear the best motto for a military public servant — SEMPER PARATUS . " The United States Coast Guard would adopt " Semper Paratus " ( always ready ) as their motto in 1896 . Subsequent career . " Ingham " became the " Independence " in the Texas Navy , and was later captured by the Mexicans and renamed the " Independencia " .