Hudson II (Revenue Cutter)
1898
The name source for the first Hudson, a frigate, is uncertain, but may have been named for the river; the second, a Revenue Cutter, retained her name while she operated with the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War; the third Hudson (DD-475) honored the late Capt. William Levereth Hudson (1794-1862); see Hudson III (DD-475) for complete biography.
II
The second Hudson was loaned to the Navy for use in the Spanish-American War by the Treasury Department. The revenue cutter was acquired at New York on 24 March 1898 and commissioned there, Lt. F. H. Newcombe in command.
Departing New York 24 April, Hudson sailed to Key West via Wilmington and Jacksonville. There, after brief patrol duty, she was pressed into use as a dispatch carrier and sent to the Fleet off Cuba. On the morning of 12 May the gunboat Winslow was disabled by heavy fire from Spanish shore batteries and five of her crew were killed. Hudson, under heavy fire from shore, towed the other ship to safety and took on board the dead and wounded of her crew. Finally delivering her dispatches to Havana 14 May, Hudson remained there on blockade duty for a while before returning to Key West. Another period of patrol ended 10 July as she returned to the blockading fleet with further dispatches. Hudson captured two small fishing sloops attempting to run the blockade off Havana. Reaching Norfolk via Key West and Charleston 21 August 1898.
Hudson was subsequently returned to the Treasury Department.
Updated, Robert J. Cressman
11 February 2021
