Fifteen of the twenty-eight yachts obtained for for Spanish-American War service were smaller vessels, most between 100 and 300 tons. Generally incapable of high seas work, and carrying an armament of a few small guns, these ships were mainly suited for local patrol duties. A few operated in the Cuban war zone, though none saw serious combat. The rest stayed in the waters off the U.S. east coast, where they assisted the old monitors and other limited-duty warships in providing a security presence against the slight risk of a Spanish naval attack.

A few of the smaller yachts, which were loans of wartime duration only, left the Navy before the end of 1898. The others continued to serve into the new century, with some lasting beyond World War I.