Alexander V. Fraser

Captain Alexander V. Fraser, U. S. Revenue-Marine, (April 20, 1804 – 1868) was an American seaman, who served as the first Chief of the Revenue-Marine Bureau, Department of the Treasury, one of the predecessor agencies of the United States Coast Guard.

Biography

Early life and career Fraser was born in New York City to a family of Scottish descent. After attending the Mathematical, Nautical and Commercial School in New York, he began his sea-faring career in the merchant service, in the East India trade. Fraser was a master mariner when he joined the Revenue-Marine in 1832, and was appointed second lieutenant of the cutter , commanded by W. A. Hammond. Stationed at Charleston during the Nullification Crisis, Fraser's duty was to board ships bringing sugar from Cuba and collect import taxes. In 1836 he took leave of absence to command the merchant ship Himmaleh on a voyage to Japan, China and the Malay Archipelago. In 1842 Fraser was appointed captain of the new cutter . Secretary of the Treasury John C. Spencer created the Revenue-Marine Bureau to institute centralized control of the Revenue-Marine. (Previously cutters were controlled by the Collector of Customs at the port to which it was assigned.) Fraser was appointed the Bureau's first Chief.

Fraser also made regular inspection tours to lighthouses and other aids to navigation, as well as the lifesaving stations. He also attempted to have the Revenue-Marine merged with the Life-Saving Service and the Lighthouse Board. )

Later career Fraser was eventually replaced as Chief of the Bureau by Captain Richard Evans on November 15, 1848. He then took command of the Revenue-Marine cutter for a voyage around the Cape of Good Hope to San Francisco, California to enforce the revenue laws there. Despite many members of his crew deserting to take part in the Gold Rush, Fraser continued to carry out his duties of aiding distressed ships, collecting revenue, and surveying the ports and coast of California, until finally returning to New York in 1852.

In 1856, Fraser successfully lobbied for the building of a new steam-powered cutter, , at New York, despite the previous failures. However this brought him into conflict with the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, who opposed the project, and he was removed from the service. He then became a marine insurance agent in New York.

Fraser attempted to rejoin the Revenue-Marine during the Civil War as President Lincoln signed a commission reinstating Fraser as a captain, however he was unable to serve. He died in Brooklyn in 1868.