''Ambrose Light'' was a

brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Older ...

, operated by Colombian rebels during the

Colombian Civil War of 1885 The Panama Crisis of 1885 was an intervention by the United States in support of a rebellion in Panama, at the time part of Colombia, and an ensuing show of force by Chile. Background The 1846 Mallarino–Bidlack Treaty, signed by Republic of ...

.Oppenheim, p. 435 It was captured by the USS ''Alliance'' as a suspected pirate vessel in 1885. The accusation of

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

was rejected by a court of law.

Capture

On April 24,

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Lewis Clark, of the

South Atlantic Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When th ...

, was sailing to Cartagena, on the

Caribbean coast Tung Chung, meaning " eastern stream", is an area on the northwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. One of the most recent new towns, it was formerly a rural fishing village beside Tung Chung Bay, and along the delta and lower courses of T ...

of Colombia, when the lookouts aboard the ''Alliance'' sighted the one-gun ''Ambrose Light''. It was flying a strange flag featuring a red cross over a white background so the Americans assumed the vessel was a

pirate ship Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

. A chase began. The Americans were preparing to fire a shot over the vessel's bow when a Colombian ensign was observed and the ''Ambrose Light'' came to a halt. Commander Clark put

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

M. Fisher, and a boarding party, on the rebel ship and it was found to have been armed with one cannon and sixty heavily armed sailors. A large cache of ammunition was also discovered. The Colombians revealed their letter of marque from the rebel leader Pedro Lara, giving the men of ''Ambrose Light'' permission to

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...

Cartagena. Commander Clark disregarded this and took the rebels prisoner and the brigantine as a prize. The ship was put under the command of Lieutenant Fisher with ten others and sent to be condemned in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. After arriving on June 1, a

stowaway A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other cas ...

was found, starving to death, hiding behind some casks in the cargo hold. The man immediately received medical attention.

Legal case

Following the court proceedings, it was agreed that ''Alliance'' had lawfully seized the rebels as pirates because Pedro Lara, as a rebel, had no right to commission warships. After a legal decision, the ship was returned to her Colombian owners, in return for costs. The court ruled that the ship could legally be used to transport troops between Colombian ports during the Colombian Civil War. When fighting broke out in Cartagena, American Secretary of State

Thomas F. Bayard Thomas Francis Bayard (October 29, 1828 – September 28, 1898) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat from Wilmington, Delaware. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he served three terms as United States Senate, United States ...

released ''Ambrose Light'' and her crew. This incident was the basis for a decision in

case law Case law, also used interchangeably with common law, is law that is based on precedents, that is the judicial decisions from previous cases, rather than law based on constitutions, statutes, or regulations. Case law uses the detailed facts of a l ...

that defines who can be called a

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

in the United States.

Citations

References

* {{1885 shipwrecks Pirate ships Vessels captured by the United States Navy United States admiralty case law United States Navy in the 19th century 1885 in Colombia 1885 in the United States Maritime incidents in April 1885 Battles and conflicts without fatalities Piracy in the Caribbean Brigantines

Capture

Legal case

See also

Citations

References