A ransom bond was a legally binding document issued as a promise for future payment for the safety and the release of a captured marine vessel. It was particularly in use during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

when

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

s would seize

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

merchant vessels and hold them for ransom. Once the bond was posted, the captured commercial ship was generally released and allowed to return to its rightful owners. The U.S. had not signed the 1856

Declaration of Paris The Paris Declaration respecting Maritime Law of 16 April 1856 was an international multilateral treaty agreed to by the warring parties in the Crimean War gathered at the Congress at Paris after the peace treaty of Paris had been signed in Marc ...

, which outlawed privateering. The Confederates commissioned privateers from many nations, and they preyed on commercial shipping lanes frequented by U.S. vessels. The Federal government finally offered to adopt the declaration's terms during the middle of the war after repeated losses to the Confederates. Many of the ransom bonds were never honored, and the owners of most Confederate privateers were unable to cash in on them when the war ended in a Union victory.

External links

Ransom Bond for the USS ''Washington''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ransom Bond Confederate States Navy Union Navy Privateering

See also

External links