1798 Quasi-War Prize Judgment — American Schooner Victoria Condemned in Guadeloupe — Signed & Sealed

A compelling contemporary manuscript recording the seizure and condemnation of an American merchant schooner during the undeclared naval conflict between France and the United States.

Issued by the Tribunal of Commerce at Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, this four-page French-language document preserves a judgment dated 26 Fructidor, Year VI of the French Republic—September 12, 1798—with certification dated the following day. Designated a second official copy, it bears manuscript signatures and a substantial red wax court seal.

The proceedings concern the American schooner Victoria, captured at sea by a French privateer. The court questions the vessel’s crew documentation, notes discrepancies concerning the nationality of its sailors, and discusses a voyage authorized for St. Croix that included unloading at St. Thomas. English merchandise aboard provides an additional ground for condemnation.

Citing the Franco-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce of February 6, 1778, together with an eighteenth-century French maritime regulation, the tribunal declares the schooner, equipment, and cargo lawful prize. It orders an inventory and subsequent sale for the benefit of the privateer’s captors, owners, and other interested parties.

An evocative primary source illustrating the legal machinery behind French seizures of American shipping during the Quasi-War, with particular appeal to collectors of early American maritime history, privateering, French Revolutionary documents, and Caribbean history.

Condition: Age toning, scattered spotting and staining, storage folds, and minor edge wear with small splits. Ink remains generally clear and legible. Red wax seal survives with cracking and surface wear. See photographs.