The cutter Forward was built in Washington, D.C., at a cost of US$3,786.75 by William Easby with construction was supervised by Captain Henry Prince, Revenue-Marine.

[5] Forward was a topsail schooner of conventional copper-sheathed wood-hull construction with no machinery on board, was 89 ft (27 m) long and had a displacement of 139 tons.

[2][4][7] She set sail for the gulf on 23 May 1846 in company with another cutter, USRC Ewing, and arrived at Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River on 19 June 1846.

The squadron that Forward was assigned to perform scouting, convoy, towing, and blockade duties as well transporting troops and supplies for the Army and occupied her during mid-summer 1846.

That assignment lasted until 15 September 1846 when she received orders transferring her to the U.S. Navy under Commodore Conner at which time she moved farther down the coast to join the blockade of Veracruz.

The steamer USS Vixen led the way and succeeded in making her crossing, Forward followed, in tow of sister revenue cutter, USRC McLane.

Forward and the other small steamers attached to Perry's force then continued the foray, sailing 74 mi (119 km) up the river through hostile territory to the town of Tabasco.

[11] However, Forward along with McLane remained at Frontera until late November 1846, engaged in the destruction of the captured Mexican shipping and maintaining a blockade of the river.

[14] In December 1846, Forward left the Mexican coast to carry dispatches to Belize City in British Honduras and New Orleans, Louisiana.

[15] On 6 January 1854 she was one of six Revenue-Marine cutters stationed along the Atlantic coast ordered to search for the disabled steamer San Francisco in the vicinity of Bermuda.