USRC William H. Seward was a Revenue Cutter Service schooner purchased in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in April 1864 and assigned in July 1864 to Wilmington, North Carolina. In 1874 she was moved to Key West, Florida and a year later to Galveston, Texas. In April 1880 Seward was assigned to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi where she patrolled from Mobile Bay to New Orleans, Louisiana. After September 1885 her patrol area also included Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River as far south as Port Eads. on 12 June 1897 she was ordered to Ship Island to aid in quarantine duty with the Marine Hospital Service ship MH Surgeon. In September 1897 she was ordered to Mobile, Alabama and repaired and fumigated. On 12 April 1898 she laid up at Mobile and recommissioned on 1 July. On 20 May 1901 she was