British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Bacchus (master Stilton Hilton)...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Bacchus (master Stilton Hilton) of Norfolk, Virginia.

Capture history: an American merchant ship (sloop, 30-35 tons, 5 men) bound for Cap François, Saint Domingue, laden with tobacco, turpentine, staves and tar; taken on 9 June 1778 at at anchor at Currituck, North Carolina by the loyalist privateer Harriott (William Austin commanding), and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: from the United States to the Caribbean Islands.

Court papers numbered CP 1-3:-

• [CP 1]: libel in Austin v The sloop Bacchus, 17 June 1778;
• [CP 2]: deposition of Charles Henly, 17 June 1778;
• [CP 3]: affidavit of papers brought in by Lieutenant Craddock Kenneth, 18 June 1778.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-9, North Carolina papers:-

• SP 1-SP 3: official ship's papers;
• SP 4: crew list and agreement;
• SP 5: owner's instructions;
• SP 6: ship's certificate;
• SP 7: letter from Peter Singleton to Rawleigh Colston, Saint Domingue, 28 May 1778;
• SP 8-SP 9: letter from William Reynolds, York River Co, to Rawleigh Colston, Saint Domingue, 11 May 1778; two of the previous ships were taken; please supply 3 swivels and 6 muskets for the defence of this one, 11 May 1778;
• SP 9: bill of lading enclosed in SP 8, 18 May 1778

[Rawleigh Colston was a supplier of military goods to the Continental Army.]

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-3; Ship's papers: 4-12 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2024].

Topics

Shipping

International

Litigation

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Conflict

Piracy and privateering

Navy

Crime

Americas

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns