Stewart v. United States

Casey, C. J.,

delivered tlie opinion of tlie Court.

The claimant sets forth in his petition that, on the 20 th February, 1S15, he was a captain in the navy of the United States, and was in command of the United States frigate “ Constitution.” That on that day he overtook, on the high seas, about sixty leagues from the island of Madeira, the British ships-of-war Cyaue and Levant, and engaged them; and, after a sharp conflict of forty minutes, they surrendered to him, and he took possession of them as prizes of war. He proceeded with them and his own ship to the island of St. lago, in the…