This warrant orders the marshal and deputies of the Massachusetts district to arrest and take into custody the ship Charming Sally and her appurtenances (equipment and cargo). It notes that a libel was filed by Isaac Sherman of Boston. A libel is an accusation brought against someone or something claiming property ought to be seized, in this case the ship and its cargo for “transportation of slaves contrary to law.”
An act of Congress passed in 1800 made it illegal for American citizens to engage in the slave trade between any nations, regardless of if the ship originated in the United States or was owned by a U.S. citizen. It also gave U.S. authorities the right to seize slave ships which were caught transporting slaves and confiscate their cargo.
