The U.S. Army Hospital Ship Relief was built at Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1896 as the civilian passenger ship John Inglis. She was acquired by the Army in 1898 and served off Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Following that conflict, Relief was employed in the Pacific, and transported sick and wounded men from the Philippines to the U.S. The Army transferred her to the U.S. Navy in November 1902. Beginning in 1908, she saw active naval service as USS Relief (1908-1919).