Charles Davis and a claim of American impressment

A reported 1811 case concerns Charles Davis, an Irish sailor who swam to a British warship after claiming that he had been held aboard USS Constitution. His account passed through Captain Robert Hall to Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, including the assertion that Davis had never previously been in America. The account describes little evidence of further diplomatic action, although a copy of the report survived in American records. It illustrates how claims about sailors' allegiance could support coercion on either side of the Atlantic. More generally, wartime shortages encouraged states to claim men as their own. A volunteer was easier to command than a sailor who believed he was being held against his will.