1809 - Letter expressing outrage that Denmark had captured 36 American ships, as shown on the accompanying ledger, and was holding them and their crews captive in Kristiansand, Norway.

"A List of Vessels Captured and brought into Norway. . .. We are still waiting . . . for our Trial. . .. if we are cleared at the next Court . . . we shall go either to Gottenburg, Copenhagen, or St. Petersburg and winter as it our object to be home as early in the Spring as possible with a cargo of Russia Goods."
Letter from Samuel Longfellow (the brother of Henry Wadsworth) to their father, Representative Stephen Longfellow, expressing outrage that Denmark had captured 36 American ships and was holding them and their crews captive in Kristiansand, Norway which includes a detailed ledger identifying each ship, its captain, its cargo. and more.
This (truncated) two-page stampless folded letter measures 16" x 14" unfolded. The first page contains a letter datelined "Christiansand Septr 6th 1809". A table identifying the 36 ships and providing detailed information about them is on the reverse. The letter is addressed to "Hon. Stephen Longfellow Esqr. / Gorham / @ Maine / United States of America." It bears a manuscript annotation that reads, "per Cap Ingersol," a "14½" manuscript rate marking, an indistinct red circular postmark, and a red "SHIP" handstamp. Docketing reads, "Son Saml. Septr 6th. . .. Recd. Decr. 1809 containing a List of Vessels carried into Norway." In nice shape. A transcript will be provided.
In this letter, Stephen reports,

"We are still waiting with as much patience as possible for our Trial at Christian, but when that will be I believe God only knows. I have made numberless inquerys respecting it, without receiving the least satisfactory answer. . .. There is one piece of News I can inform you of to certainty, that if we are cleared at the next Court, which in all probability we shall be, I shall not be home these 6 months. If we have our trial before we freeze up, we shall go either to Gottenburg, Copenhagen, or St. Petersburg and winter as it our object to be home as early in the Spring as possible with a cargo of Russia Goods. This will go from here to Tounigen in the ship Commerce of Salum which is to sail to day, . .. "
The table on the reverse is titled "A List of Vessels Captured and brought into Norway." For each of the 36 ships it provides the Vessels Name, the name of its Captain, Home Port, Owners, Bound for, Sailing Date, Captured Date, Date sent to Kristiansand, Cargos, Trial Date, Owners, Consignees, Invoice Value, and Fate.
The United States had no part whatsoever in beginning the conflict with Denmark. Two years before in 1807, the British Navy captured nearly 40 Danish-Norwegian cargo ships and bombarded Copenhagen in a misguided and ridiculous effort to force Denmark into an alliance against France. Not surprising, it had the opposite effect, and Denmark allied itself with France.
While it may be hard to believe today, in the early 1800s, many non-Americans had never heard of the United States or if they had, believed that as English speakers they were allied with the United Kingdom. Worse, English ships also often flew the Stars and Stripes to hide their true identity. So, when Danish warships or privateers encountered English-speaking crews of American merchantmen, those men and vessels were often hauled into Norway, where a naval tribunal would decide if it would be set free or kept as a prize of war.
Coincidently, by the time Samuel's letter reached his father, John Quincy Adams, the recently appointed Minister of the United States at the Court of the Emperor Alexander of Russia, had inadvertently discovered the situation. In the late summer of 1809, he was heading to St. Petersburg on the ship Horace under the command of Captain Benjamin Beckford (sometimes Bickford). After a tense confrontation with the Danes, Beckford docked the Horace at the city to reprovision as a severe storm was approaching. In port, Adams was horrified to find over 300 detained American sailors and learn how their merchant ships and cargo had been captured and claimed by the Danish as contraband. Choosing to delay his arrival in Russia, Adams directed Beckford to sail to Elsinore and travel overland to Copenhagen. Marginally successful, he expedited the Americans release but was unable to reclaim the $50 million of ships and cargo. He notified President James Madison who reported in his 1810 State of the Union address that "The commerce of the United States [has been] vexed by licentious cruisers, particularly under the Danish flag, [and] visited with fresh and extensive depredations. The measures pursued in behalf of our injured citizens not having obtained justice for them, a further and more formal interposition with the Danish Government is contemplated. "
In Madison's 1811 address, he noted that a special minister to Denmark had made considerable progress on addressing the issue. However, the situation was not resolved until 20 years later when Denmark finally reimbursed the injured parties a total of $650,000.
(For more information, see Adams's diary entry for 6 August 1833 available online at the John Quincy Adams Digital Diary website, Cook's American Phoenix: John Quincy and Louisa Adams. . ., and "1810 James Madison - Danish Privateers seizing American Vessels" at the State of the Union History website.)
It appears that the detailed tabular information of these ships is not readily available elsewhere, although it is possible that the information might be obtained through meticulous searches of the U.S. and Danish national archives.
A unique and historically valuable document evidencing the international weakness of the fledgling U.S. Republic. No similar document is for sale in the trade. None has appeared at public auction per the Rare Book Hub and ABPC, and none are held in institutional collection per OCLC. (Inventory #: 010322)