[6] On 29 September, Mahoning arrived in Boston, Massachusetts from Portland, Maine, on the same day as her sister ship Pawtuxet from New York City, and a comparative trial between the two vessels announced.

[7] On 16 November, while attempting to enter the port of Castine, Maine during a gale, Mahoning was mistakenly fired upon by Battery White, which apparently mistook her for a Confederate privateer.

Mahoning's Captain Webster reported that the Battery fired three rounds in total, at a range of 2.5 miles (4.0 km): "one blank cartridge and two excellent line shots [that] fell short".

"[9] In May 1867, the United States Congress passed a resolution authorizing Captain Webster to receive a gold medal from Sir Frederick Bruck for aiding British vessels in distress.

[10] In July 1869, Mahoning participated in the foiling of a planned filibuster raid on Cuba by "a motley collection of ex-officers and fanatics" known as the Cuban Liberators,[11] who had gathered on Gardiners Island, New York, in preparation for their attack.

The captives, in a "dirty and disorganized condition" and numbering 125 in total, were then transported aboard the revenue cutter to Fort Lafayette, where they were held pending further orders from Washington.

[12] On Saturday 29 January 1870, Mahoning participated in ceremonies occasioned by the return from the United Kingdom of the remains of noted philanthropist George Peabody at Portland Harbor, Maine.

[15] On 8 June Faraday was finally located off White Island, where she had anchored due to thick fog, and Levi Woodbury despatched to greet the vessel.

The party from Levi Woodbury were warmly greeted aboard Faraday and treated to a "sumptuous lunch", after which various toasts were made celebrating the prospect of a new cable link between the two countries.

The purpose of these patrols, which were carried out from 1 December to 1 April each year, was to cruise off "dangerous points" of the coastline in search of ships in distress and render them appropriate assistance:[18] Many a poor mariner, with his sails blown away, ground tackle gone, leaking badly, heavily iced up, food lockers empty, or perhaps out of his reckoning, sights the revenue cutter in the distance bearing down upon him, and experiences feelings which a landsman cannot understand.

[19] Preparation for the patrols began in November, with all the ship's equipment, including masts, sails, rigging, boats, tackle, steering gear, pumps etc.

[19] The extent of Levi Woodbury's contribution to maritime safety over this period can be gauged by the fact that she was one of only two cutters assigned to patrol the Maine coastline, and that these waters, with their "immense number of shoals, rocks, reefs and islands", combined with the "very strong tides, high winds, fog, vapor and ice" typically accounted for about four fifths of the total number of ships aided by the Revenue Cutter Service each year.

She subsequently participated in operations with the North Atlantic Fleet from 8 May to the end of hostilities in August, during which time she was referred to simply as Woodbury in naval records.

[1][3] On 18 July 1904 she was involved in a minor collision with SS Sebascodegan in the harbor at Portland, Maine due to excessive speed in dense fog by the cutter resulting in US$1,200 in damage to the steamer.

On 10 January 1913, for example, the crew of Woodbury were able to effect temporary repairs to their ship's broken rudder to go to the aid of the steamer Monhegan, which, after breaking down on the Maine coast, was being driven to destruction by a gale.

[28] Woodbury achieved one of her last triumphs when on 7 August 1914, "in one of the most important ... [rescue] incidents of the year", she towed to safety the steamer Bay State, which, with 250 passengers and a crew of 104, had run aground "in a very exposed position" at Portland Head.