[mainepatsfan]

They feared prosecution as pirates in the United States since they had burned American ships after the end of hostilities. When they sailed into Liverpool the British confined the crew to the ship for three days before deciding to let them go in spite of requests from American ambassador Adams that they be handed over to them.

[Vigilanteman]

Great additidional information. Since the political power structure in place after Lincoln's assassination was of the recrimination mindset, it makes the skipper's actions even wiser. Lincoln would have been a great reconstruction president with his planned magnanimity to the South. Most, if not all, of that magnanimity in the political structure vanished after the assassination.