Slidell and Mason seized under the Meteor Flag of England—and brought back to Fortress Monroe prisoners!*
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| John Slidell (left) and James Murray Mason, Confederate diplomats, taken captive by the U.S. Navy while en route to Britain and France |
Something good obliged to come out of such a stupid blunder. Yankees must bow their knee to the British—or fight them."
*Taken from the British ship Trent by the U.S.S. San Jacinto near Cuba on 8 November 1861, James Mason and John Slidell arrived at Fort Monroe, Virginia, on 15 November. Many, North and South, believed the incident would bring British recognition of the Confederacy and perhaps war between England and the Union.
