Leonard G. Shepard
Encyclopedia
Leonard G. Shepard was a captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service
and was appointed in 1889 by Secretary of the Treasury William Windom
as the first military head of the service since 1869. His formal title was that of Chief of the Revenue Marine Division of the Department of the Treasury. Although he was never formally known as Commandant, he is recognized today as the first Commandant of the Coast Guard
.
in 1846. He entered the Revenue Cutter Service as a third lieutenant on September 15, 1865, reporting aboard the USRC Moccasin. He was promoted to second lieutenant in 1869 and first lieutenant in 1870. As first lieutenant he commanded the USRC James Guthrie
in Baltimore and the USRC Washington in New York. After his promotion to captain on March 14, 1878 he took command of the USRC McLane
at Galveston, Texas
and the USRC George Bibb at Ogdensburg, New York
. In 1883 he took command of the Revenue Cutter School at New Bedford, Massachusetts
and the USRC Salmon P. Chase
. From 1887 to 1889 he was in command of the USRC Rush
in San Francisco, California
and just before his appointment to chief of the division was serving as commanding officer of the USRC Bear.
soon after assuming the office of Chief of the Revenue Cutter Division to dramatize the lack promotion opportunities and the last class of Cadets graduated in May 1890. He also fought for the passage of HR 6723; a bill that created a medical review board that examined senior officers and eliminated those not fit to command.
Secretary of the Treasury John Griffin Carlisle
pointed out that about a third of the officers of the Revenue Marine could not perform their duties because of advanced age and pressed Congress for relief. Shepard fought for passage of the retirement plan in Congress. The bill was signed in to law on March 2, 1895 and Shepard died of pneumonia on March 14, twelve days later. Although the new retirement plan did not solve all of the problems of the Revenue Marine Service, it did force the retirement of 39 officers determined by a medical board to be unhealthy enough for duty and gave them a half pay allowance. This allowed the Revenue Marine to free up billets and give junior officers better promotion opportunities.
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
and was appointed in 1889 by Secretary of the Treasury William Windom
William Windom
This page is about the former United States politician. William Windom was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 to 1883...
as the first military head of the service since 1869. His formal title was that of Chief of the Revenue Marine Division of the Department of the Treasury. Although he was never formally known as Commandant, he is recognized today as the first Commandant of the Coast Guard
Commandant of the Coast Guard
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
.
Early years
Shepard was born in Dorchester, MassachusettsDorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
in 1846. He entered the Revenue Cutter Service as a third lieutenant on September 15, 1865, reporting aboard the USRC Moccasin. He was promoted to second lieutenant in 1869 and first lieutenant in 1870. As first lieutenant he commanded the USRC James Guthrie
USRC James Guthrie (1868)
USRC James Guthrie was a Revenue Cutter used as a harbor vessel at Baltimore, Maryland. Originally the merchant tug George W. Loane it was purchased in 1868 for $16,500 and was named for James Guthrie, twenty first Secretary of the Treasury. Her duties were customs inspections and vessel movement...
in Baltimore and the USRC Washington in New York. After his promotion to captain on March 14, 1878 he took command of the USRC McLane
USS Delaware (1861)
USS Delaware was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy for use during the American Civil War. She had a very active wartime career as a gunboat, and after the war served as a revenue cutter...
at Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
and the USRC George Bibb at Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
. In 1883 he took command of the Revenue Cutter School at New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
and the USRC Salmon P. Chase
USRC Salmon P. Chase (1878)
The USRC Salmon P. Chase was named after Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon Portland Chase. It was a three-masted bark with a hull length of 106-feet that was designed for use as a training ship for the cadets of the Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction.Shortly after the...
. From 1887 to 1889 he was in command of the USRC Rush
USRC Rush (1885)
USRC Rush was a Revenue Cutter named for Richard Rush, eighth Secretary of the Treasury. She was a replacement for the USRC Rush and was much larger, but re-used the engine from the first Rush. She was completed in November 1885...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and just before his appointment to chief of the division was serving as commanding officer of the USRC Bear.
Chief of Revenue Cutter Service
On December 14, 1889, Shepard was named to the position of Chief of the Revenue Marine Division. Although the Revenue Marine Bureau existed prior to the appointment, the command of the bureau belonged to the Chief of Customs Collectors, and as such Captain Leonard G. Shepard became Chief of the "Revenue Marine Division" and is considered to be the first Commandant. He immediately began a campaign of reform and petitioned for funds for new cutters and a plan for officer retirement pensions. His plan was to quit spending money on repair of older vessels that did not meet modern needs of the service and acquire new vessels that served more efficiently. The officer situation was one of many officers serving well into their eighties, thus hindering younger officers chances of promotion. This affected the morale of the service considerably and kept many able young men from joining the service. The senior officers stayed on in command because of a lack of a retirement pension. Shepard closed the Revenue Cutter School at Fort Trumbull, ConnecticutFort Trumbull
Fort Trumbull refers to a fort in New London, Connecticut and to a nearby neighborhood.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood of Fort Trumbull was demolished as part of plan for the economic development of New London. The plan was appealed in a case that reached the US Supreme Court, Kelo v...
soon after assuming the office of Chief of the Revenue Cutter Division to dramatize the lack promotion opportunities and the last class of Cadets graduated in May 1890. He also fought for the passage of HR 6723; a bill that created a medical review board that examined senior officers and eliminated those not fit to command.
Secretary of the Treasury John Griffin Carlisle
John Griffin Carlisle
John Griffin Carlisle was a prominent American politician in the Democratic Party during the last quarter of the 19th century. He served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1889 and as United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1893 to 1897 during the Panic...
pointed out that about a third of the officers of the Revenue Marine could not perform their duties because of advanced age and pressed Congress for relief. Shepard fought for passage of the retirement plan in Congress. The bill was signed in to law on March 2, 1895 and Shepard died of pneumonia on March 14, twelve days later. Although the new retirement plan did not solve all of the problems of the Revenue Marine Service, it did force the retirement of 39 officers determined by a medical board to be unhealthy enough for duty and gave them a half pay allowance. This allowed the Revenue Marine to free up billets and give junior officers better promotion opportunities.
Death and legacy
Captain Shepard died March 14, 1895, of pneumonia in Washington, DC, leaving a wife and three children. By petitioning for newer design cutters and a retirement plan for older officers, Shepard is given credit for continuing his civilian predecessors efforts to modernize the service. During his tenure several newer steel hull tugs and larger cutters were acquired by the service. Although his retirement plan was not perfect, it did set the stage for Shepard's successors make additional improvements.External links
- Leonard G. Shepard The Patriot Files
- Historian's Office U.S. Coast Guard Official website