British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Diana (master William McNeil)....

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Diana (master William McNeil).

Capture history: an American merchant ship (80 tons, 11 men, formerly a British horse vessel on HM Service, taken by the French at Baltimore on the surrender of the British at Yorktown, Virginia), now bound from Baltimore, Maryland to Havana, Cuba, laden with flour, corn, as part of a French convoy; taken on 28 September 1782 off Cape Henry off the Chesapeake by HMS Fortunée (Hugh Christian commanding), and HMS Champion ([Thomas] Wells commanding), and brought into New York.

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

Court papers numbered CP 1-3:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers (one paper, the rest thrown overboard) brought in by the prize master Thomas Phepoe, master's mate of HMS Fortunée, 7 October 1782;
• [CP 2]: libel in Advocate General at the relation of Christian and Wells v The brig Diana and her cargo, 7 October 1782;
• [CP 3]: deposition of James Mathews, 18 October 1782.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1:-

• SP 1: logbook, covering 5-28 September as an American ship (when the pumps were choked with Indian corn and the decks awash), and continued as a British prize until 4 October by Phepoe, recording the prize crew as 2 midshipmen, 4 men from HMS Fortunée and 4 from HMS Champion.

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

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