A U.S. warship seizes a British merchant vessel in neutral waters, which threatens to cause an international crisis.
Tag: Charles Wilkes
A Massive Wave of Chauvinistic Elation
News of the capture of Confederate envoys James Mason and John Slidell spreads throughout America and is met with mixed reactions in North and South.
The Trent Affair
Captain Charles Wilkes of the U.S.S. San Jacinto halts the neutral British steamship R.M.S. Trent on the open sea and seizes two Confederate envoys under dubious circumstances.
Mason and Slidell Escape
Confederate envoys board a steamship in the hopes of eluding the Federal blockade and reaching Europe to gain Confederate recognition.