From Kurt A. Sanftleben, LLC, Virginia Beach, VA, U.S.A.
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AbeBooks Seller since January 5, 2001
About this Item
This archive consists of 11 documents related to the voyage, seizure, plundering, and eventual return of the Sloop Diana out of Alexandria, Virginia. The ship was captured twice by French privateers while bound for Cape Nicholas Mole, Saint-Domingue, and Port au Prince, Haiti. This was one of the incidents that led to the United States' Quasi-War with France between 1798 and 1801. On 15 December, Captain Henry Nicoll departed Alexandria, Virginia, on the Sloop Diana with a cargo of flour, pilot bread, butter, beef, pork, onions, and spermaceti candles. Although just "off the pitch of Cape Henry [with] the wind blowing fresh, one of his Crew named Thophilus Townshend fell overboard and was drowned." Nothing else out of the ordinary occurred until the ship neared Cape Nicholas Mole, Saint-Dominique. There, "when being within Gunshot of Cape Nichols Mole, his Vessel was captured by the Armed French Privateer Schooner called The Flying Fish[and was] carried into the port of Jean Rabel [where] his papers were sent to Cape Francois for Trial at which he attended with considerable Trouble and Expence, and both the Vessel and cargo were cleared. . . On his return to Jean Rabel, he found his Vessels Hatches had been broke open by the privateers Men and the following articles stolen there by them, one Barrel of Beef, One barrel of Pork, Two boxes of Candles Two Ferkins of Butter, Two Barrels of Pilot Bread, Three Hundred Bunches of Onions, and the greatest part of his Cabin Furnishings. . ." Nicoll next applied for clearance to sail to Haiti but was refused, "And at the same time the Administration signified to him that they must have his flour, for which they would allow him eighteen Dollars per Barrel payable in Coffee at the Market Price, and would Deliver the Coffee in the Course of sixty Days. . . From the manner this Intimation was made, he found it was impossible to resist, [for] he was advised . . . if he had made a positive refusal they would assuredly have taken it by Force [and] all Hopes of payment would have been at an end. . . After the sixty Days were expired, he made various applications for Payment, but found it was in vain to expect it as he was informed by the Administration an Order had reached the Island forbidding the payment of such Debts. . . Being much destressed for the want of provisions, and having no money to purchase any, he applied to the administration for one Barrel of Beef, but they refused to let him have it. . . Being uncertain when, if ever payment would be made . . . he resolved [to go to] Cape Francois . . . with the expectation of selling his Bread at some price or other. [He next purchased] five Hundred Bushels of Indian Corn [and after sailing to the] Grand Caicos [and after] he there purchased with his Corn one thousand four hundred and fifty Bushels of Salt [he] sailed for Alexandria. [Unfortunately] he was captured by the armed French Privateer Schooner called Le Trepied commanded by Captain Pelligren who carried him into Port de Paix, where after much ill usage and long detention his Cargo was condemned [i.e., seized]" although he was allowed to keep the Diana. "The Tribunal declares a Good Prize the Merchandizes of the Cargo of the said Sloop Diana of Alexandria . . . and awards them to the Owners, Captain and Crew of the said French Privateer le Trepied, Captain Antoine Pellegrin. . . The Tribunal declares also that the Sloop Diana of Alexandria, Captain Henry Nicoll is not a good Prize, and must be entirely delivered to the said Captain, together with his Sails and Appurtenances. . ." While his ship was impounded during the tribunal at Port de Pais, it was "plundered of part of her Rigging and Sails" and Nicholls was forced to use personal funds "to purchase some provisions, and to ballast his Vessel" in order to sail for Alexandria, where he arrived on June 4, 1798. Considerably more detail is provided in this archive, much of it from a French perspective that also provides a rare, detai. Seller Inventory # 010062
Bibliographic Details
Title: 1797-1798 - Archive of documents relating to...
Publisher: Various locations
Publication Date: 1798
Binding: Unbound
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