[PIRACY]. A group of 4 manuscript court documents pertaining to restitution and recovery of the American Brig Eliza, captured by Spanish privateers. [Washington, D.C., November 1801 - ca. April 1802].

Three folio and one octavo, all single-leaves, two documents are split at folds, one of which has very minor loss to text. The documents pertain to an American merchant ship captured in 1801 by a Spanish Privateer while on a voyage to Barcelona and Malaga with valuable cargo, the subsequent recapture by the American crew, and claim for compensation from the salvage of her cargo. The American Brig Eliza, formerly Schooner Maria, whose homeport was Charleston and master was Captain Joseph Michael, was destined for Barcelona and Malaga in June 1801, with a cargo belonging to an American merchant named John Seamy. Near Tarifa, in Cádiz Province, on 10 July she was seized by Spanish privateers and ordered to the Port of Algeciras. While at anchor there, Captain Michael, with the help of his crew, in particular a Benjamin Hubble, managed to retake the ship from the Spanish. They immediately proceeded across the Bay to Gibraltar with the intention of selling the ship and cargo for personal gain.