Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/463

Rh not in official capacity but as gentlemen of distinction. Afterward they went as passengers aboard a British merchant vessel, &quot;The Trent, &quot; carrying English mails, and sailed for England. In the meantime Captain Charles Wilkes, U. S. N., commanding the United States sloop-of-war, &quot;San Jacinto, &quot; carrying thirteen guns, who appears to have had a zeal not according to knowledge, was busy in carrying out a purpose to capture the Confederate commissioners and executed his designs with success enough to produce a sensation which involved his government in a serious difficulty with England, from which extrication was gained only by very mortifying explanations. Cruising near the island on the alert for the &quot;Trent,&quot; Captain Wilkes sighted the approaching vessel on the high seas, and gave the command to &quot;beat to quarters, hoist the colors and load the guns. The next proceeding was to fire a shot across the bow of the &quot;Trent,&quot; which caused that vessel to display the British colors with out arresting its onward speed. A shell from the &quot;San Jacinto&quot; across her course brought the &quot;Trent&quot; to without delay and Captain Wilkes then sent his executive officer with a guard of marines and a full armed boat crew to board the British ship. Lieutenant Fairfax, the executive officer, went aboard, and informing Captain Moir of the &quot;Trent&quot; as to the object of his visit, asked for the passenger list, saying that he would search the vessel to find Mason and Slidell. But while the English captain was protesting against this breach of international law and refusing to show any papers, the two Confederate commissioners with their associates, Eustis and McFarland, appeared and united with the British officer in his protest. At this juncture the other Federal officers in the armed cutter came aboard with a number of marines and other armed men of the boat s crew and the second cutter also appearing alongside Captain Wilkes formed a line outside the main deck cabin into which the Southern passengers had retired to pack their baggage. This show of force