Elisha Small (died December 1, 1842) was an American sailor who was sailing with the rank of Seaman.

His friendship with crew members Samuel Cromwell and Elisha Small was cited as evidence.

On November 27, 1842, Small and Cromwell were formally accused of being part of Spencer's supposed plot to mutiny.

After a council of officers decided that the threat of mutiny was real, all three men were hanged without court-martial on December 1 and were buried at sea.

Many commentators, including James Fenimore Cooper, denounced the hangings as murder and criticized the Navy's handling of the matter as an example of what today could be called a "whitewash."