Mayo, Isaac (1791-1861) to J.C. Hall
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04604.19 Author/Creator: Mayo, Isaac (1791-1861) Place Written: Off St. Iago de Cuba Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 9 June 1830 Pagination: 2 p. ; 25.3 x 19.6 cm. Order a Copy
Written by Lieutenant Commander Mayo as commander of the U.S.S. Grampus to Hall as captain of the merchant ship "Kremlin," based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Hall was threatened by the slave trade ship "Phoenix" and witnessed Mayo's seizure of the ship for piracy. Looked over Hall's affidavit and says he overlooked "two material points." Two points are: 1. the "Phoenix" ordered him to send a boat on board of her and after Hall refused and the "Phoenix" threatened to board the "Kremlin," which was an attempt to detain the ship without authority on the high seas. 2. the "Phoenix" crossing the "Kremlin's" bow with her guns was imposing "restraint upon you on the high way of nations." Wants Hall to confirm these points as they will play an important role in the trial. Says merchant ships have a duty to help "in sweeping such marauders from the Ocean, for most all Pirates have recently been committed by slavers, and I believe the latter has become a pretext for the former."
The U.S.S. Grampus was involved in the Amistad incident in 1840. The ship was ordered by President Martin Van Buren to New Haven, Connecticut's harbor in January 1840 to smuggle the captive Africans back to the Spanish in Cuba. The ship did anchor in the harbor, but the plan was never implemented.
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