Cartel ships provided the legal mechanism later used to send Porter and his men home. A captured vessel could receive that designation to return prisoners on parole or carry official communications between belligerents. The Admiralty initially resisted routine arrangements with the United States because no dependable reciprocal procedure existed. American attempts to sell or resupply cartel vessels in British ports created further disputes about what their protected status allowed. This background explains the protected role assigned to Essex Junior after the battle.
Notable Point · 40:15-42:08
How cartel ships returned prisoners between enemies
Cartel ships carried prisoners and official communications under negotiated protection, although British and American authorities lacked a reliable bilateral system for administering them.