USRC Morris

The United States Revenue Cutter Morris was one of 13 cutters of the Morris-Taney Class to be launched. Named after Secretaries of the Treasury and Presidents of the United States, these cutters were the backbone of the Service for more than a decade. 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 built by Webb and Allen, designed by Isaac Webb, resembled Humphreys' but had one less port.^[1]

A Morris-Taney class Revenue Cutter
History
United States
Namesake	Robert Morris
Builder	Webb and Allen, New York
Commissioned	1831
Decommissioned	January 1847
Homeport	Portland, Maine Key West, Florida
Fate	sold
General characteristics
Class and type	Schooner
Displacement	112 tons
Length	73.4 ft (22.4 m)
Beam	20.6 ft (6.3 m)
Draft	9.7 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion	wind
Complement	20-24
Armament	6-9 pndrs

The Morris was named for Robert Morris, a Founding Father, Continental Congressman, and major financier of the American Revolutionary War. She began her career on a cruise from Maine to Sabine, Texas. On 20 October 1831, she arrived for duty at Portland, Maine. In May 1846, she sailed to Key West to participate in the Mexican War. On 11 October 1846, a hurricane drove Morris ashore three miles northwest of Key West. The following month, the Key West Collector of Customs received instructions to sell the vessel.