City Archives
New Orleans Public Library
Louisiana. Commercial Court (Orleans Parish)
Suits relating to the slave mutiny aboard the brig Creole, 1841
[Docket Nos. 4408, 4409, 4410, 4411, 4413, 4414, 4419]
1 carton

Seven lawsuits suits brought against insurance companies by owners of slaves involved in the revolt aboard the ship Creole on November 7, 1841:

#4408: Thomas McCargo v. The Merchant's Insurance Co. of New Orleans
#4409: Thomas McCargo v. The New Orleans Insurance Co.
#4410: Edward Lockett v. The Merchants Insurance Co. of New Orleans
#4411: Edward Lockett v. The Firemen's Insurance Co. of New Orleans
#4413: Andrews and Hatcher v. Ocean Insurance Co.
#4414: Shermon Johnson v. The Ocean Insurance Co.
#4419: John Hagan v. The Ocean Insurance Co.

The Creole, sailing from Richmond, Va. to New Orleans, was seized by the slaves and sailed to Nassau, where the slaves not directly involved in the mutiny were freed by British authorities and the Creole was sent on to New Orleans.

The insurers of the Creole slaves declined to reimburse the policy holders for their losses, claiming that the policies excepted insurrection, suicide, desertion or natural death as causes of recovery. The owners brought suit against the insurance companies in Commercial Court in New Orleans.

In addition to the pleadings, transcripts of testimony, and other suit-generated documents, the records also include transcripts of testimony taken by British officials in Nassau and lists of slaves aboard the ship. Although there is no evidence that any of these cases were consolidated in the lower court, a number of documents bear all three docket numbers 4413, 4414, & 4419. These documents are foldered separately.

Most of these cases were appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Docket #s 4411 and 4413 were consolidated on appeal.

The suits are available on microfilm.

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