
Captain John Foster Williams - Boston, MA
N 42° 21.312 W 071° 03.054
19T E 331093 N 4691252
This plaque honoring Captain John Foster Williams is attached to the southwest corner of the Captain John Foster Williams U.S. Coast Guard Building, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Waymark Code: WMFD1G
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/30/2012
Views: 6
This historical marker is placed at the southwest corner of the Captain John Foster Williams U.S. Coast Guard Building. The building is located at 408 Atlantic Avenue in Boston. The marker reads:
Captain John Foster Williams
1743 - 1814
A native Bostonian, John Foster Williams was an
extraordinary man, who courageously served his
country. He went to sea at the age of 15 and by the
age of 22, was commanding merchant vessels. During
the Revolutionary War, he commanded several ships
including the Massachusetts Navy 14-gun brig Hazard
which was captured by the British as a prize of war.
Sent to England on board a prison ship, he later escaped
and returned to America to continue to fight. Selected by
President George Washington, John Foster Williams
commanded the first revenue cutter, the Massachusetts
in 1791 as part of the service which came to be known
as the Revenue Marine, predecessor of today's U.S.
Coast Guard.
More information can be found on Captain John Foster Williams at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Foster_Williams and http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jwill.htm