694 



TKENT. 



Slidell, Mason, Eustis, and McFarland were 

 taken and forced into the boat. The officers 

 of the San Jacinto went back to the cabins and 

 took possession of the baggage, and sent it 

 with their prisoners on board the San Jacinto. 

 Mr. Slidell said, as the boat shoved off', that he 

 expected redress from the British Government 

 for this outrage while under the protection of 

 its flag, and called upon the English captain to 

 represent the case properly. The lieutenant 

 stopped on board, having ordered the boat to 

 return. He then stated that he had orders to 

 take Captain Moir and his papers on board the 

 San Jacinto, and that the Trent was to be 

 moved nearer. Captain Moir replied : " You 

 will find me on my quarter-deck ; if you want 

 me you will have to come there for me," and 

 he immediately walked on deck. The lieuten- 

 ant, however, went into one of the boats, and 

 told Captain Moir that he could proceed. The 

 boat pulled for the San Jacinto, and the Trent 

 steamed ahead for St. Thomas. The officers of 

 the San Jacinto asked for provisions for the 

 prisoners, stating that they were short of stores. 

 Captain Moir told the four gentlemen that at 

 their request he would supply what was need- 

 ed, and they having expressed a wish that 

 he should do so, all the necessaries were sup- 

 plied. 



An officer of the San Jacinto thus reports the 

 affair: "About 11.40 A. M., the look-out at the 

 masthead reported a smoke as from a steamer 

 from the westward, and about 11 A. M. she was 

 visible from the deck. We were all ready for her, 

 beat to quarters, and as soon as she was within 

 reach of our guns, every gun of our starboard 

 battery was trained upon her. A shot from 

 our pivot gun was fired across her bow. She 

 hoisted English colors, but showed no dis- 

 position to slacken her speed or heave to. We 

 hoisted the ' Star Spangled Banner,' and as 

 soon as she was close upon us, fired a shell 

 across her bow, which brought her to. Our cap- 

 tain hailed her, and said he would send a boat 

 on board, and ordered Lieutenant Fairfax to 

 board her ; he went in the second cutter ; at the 

 same time Lieutenant Greer was already in the 

 third cutter to shove from the port side should 

 his assistance be required. On coming along- 

 side the packet, Lieutenant Fairfax ordered the 

 other officers to remain in the boat with the 

 crew until force should become necessary, and 

 he went on board alone. The captain of the 

 mail steamer refused to show his papers and 

 passenger list, knowing very well the object 

 of oiir visit and the character and mission 

 of the commissioners. But Mr. Mason being 

 recognized, a part of the armed crew was 

 ordered from the boat, and came on board. 

 Messrs. Mason and Slidell were then requested 

 to come on board the San Jacinto, but declined, 

 and said that they would only yield by force ; 

 Mr. Slidell making the remark that ' it would 

 require considerable force to take him on board 

 the San Jacinto.' Lieutenant Fairfax then or- 

 dered Mr. Houston to return to our ship and 



report that the Confederate commissioners were 

 on board the mail steamer, and refused to come 

 on board the San Jacinto by other means than 

 force. Lieutenant Greer then shoved off and 

 went alongside the Trent, sent his armed crew 

 and marines on board, and stationed them at 

 both gangways, and then, after a 'gentle ap- 

 plication ' of force, the four gentlemen were 

 taken in the second cutter and conveyed on 

 board of our ship, where they were received by 

 Captain Wilkes at the gangway, and shown 

 into his cabin, which they afterwards occupied. 

 Two other boats were then sent on board to 

 remove the luggage, and the ladies having de- 

 clined the hospitalities offered them, at 3.30 

 we parted company from the Trent." 



The commissioners made a protest to Captain 

 Wilkes on the next day, in which they say 

 that when the Trent got within hailing dis- 

 tance, her captain inquired what was wanted ? 

 The reply was understood to be : " They would 

 send a boat." Both vessels were then station- 

 ary, with steam shut t off. A boat very soon 

 put off from the ship, followed immediately 

 by two other boats, with full crews, and armed 

 with muskets and side-arms. A lieutenant in 

 the uniform of the United States navy, and 

 with side-arms, boarded the Trent, and, in 

 the presence of most of the passengers then 

 assembled on the upper deck, said to Captain 

 Moir that he came with orders to demand his 

 passenger list. The captain refused to produce 

 it, and formally protested against any right to 

 visit his ship for the purpose indicated. After 

 some conversation, implying renewed protests 

 on the part of the captain against the alleged 

 object of the visit, and on the part of the officer 

 of the San Jacinto that he had only to exe- 

 cute his orders, the latter said that two gen- 

 tlemen, naming Messrs. Slidell and Mason, were 

 known to be on board, as also two other gentle- 

 men, naming Messrs. Eustis and McFarland, and 

 that his orders were to take and carry them on 

 board the San Jacinto. On first addressing the 

 captain, he announced himself as a lieutenant 

 of the United States steamer San Jacinto. The 

 four gentlemen named being present, the lieu- 

 tenant addressed Mr. Slidell and afterwards Mr. 

 Mason, repeating that his orders were to take 

 them, together with Messrs. Eustis and McFar- 

 land and carry them on board his ship. Messrs. 

 Slidell and Mason, in reply, protested in the 

 presence of the captain of the Trent, his officers 

 and passengers, against such threatened violation 

 of their persons and their rights, and informed 

 the lieutenant that they would not leave the 

 ship they were in unless compelled by the em- 

 ployment of actual force greater than they 

 could resist, and Messrs. Eustis and McFarland 

 united with them in expressing a like purpose. 

 That officer stated that he hoped he would not 

 be compelled to resort to the use of force, hut 

 if it should become necessary to employ it, in 

 order to execute his orders, he was prepared to 

 do so. He was answered by the commissioners 

 that they would submit only to such a force. 



