#MB83
1838
Folio (ca 31x21,5 cm). [1] p. Brown ink on watermarked paper, legible text in Spanish, signed and docketed on verso. Light wear and chipping at edges. Very minor foxing. Very good.
An interesting document from the tense period of the French blockade of Rio de la Plata (28 March 1838 - 1840) during the War of the Confederation between Argentina and Chile on one side and the Peru-Bolivian Confederation on the other side. Buenos Aires merchant Gaspar Ressa filed a complaint to the members of the city Council about Don Jose Costa, the captain of the ship “Flor de Rio” which belonged to Ressa. “I requested before the town's office of registered licences that Don Jose Costa, the then captain of a ship of mine, Flor del Río, reports on matters done in his capacity [as a captain], pertaining to his management and regarding the aforesaid ship; as a result the aforesaid captain Costa, instead of fulfilling what was his duty, ran away and went to Montevideo in secret without any authorisation from the aforementioned headquarters and police: as his way of behaving was prejudicial to my interests, I hereby complain before the same court about all damage which may arise <…> The chief of navy and the captain of the port of Montevideo were in charge so that they ordered Captain Costa to appear within a couple of weeks before this jurisdiction's court <…>; there was no reply to date as it shows on those decrees…”
As follows from the verso of the letter, Ressa’s appeal was processed by the Buenos Aires Council the same day, and on the 3rd of December “the testimony was received and given to the interested party, Ressa.” The document bears the seal of Argentina and is signed by Gaspar Ressa and a member of the council Antonio Francio Gomez.
In 1838 France had sent ships to blockade Buenos Aires, in support of their allies in the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. This eventually helped spark the Uruguayan civil war, which lasted from 1839 to 1851.
