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.

Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
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.
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.