Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-19


documents recently tFansmiel ih, Federal Congress
ia tie protest ofMsssrs ,soa and sje against their
arrest on board the British steamer Te,n,. TIE follow
log copy Of the protest and reply Of CapAil Wilkes
USTED SGATSs SrFANEE SAN JAcISTo,
4 Sea, NoEember Oh.
Cap.a;v Wakes, URit'd St'ss NiVy, CoumaHdiHq San
Jrcisto,
Sir We deriro 10 communicate to you, by this
orludum tho fets attending arrest yesterday On
board the British nail steamer Trent yous order and
our transfer 20 ibis ship.
We the undersigned embarked NJ Havana on the 7h
illauL as passengers torri the Tcent Captain hoir
b,und 20 the iisnd OF 6t Thomas the Trent being
a. he regular neil sud passenger line Of the B-h
RnyO Nail Steamship Company, running from vera
Cr,z via H,vAna, TO s.; Ttomas ard th'nce TO South
Gmp.ou, England. We p4ii our pa igs money fer the
VII - from H'yaus 70 Southampton TO the British
C,csu al Hvsla who ec7 80 the sgo0t or representa-
tiy, of the stjd nbN cymrluy, NJ SilgU being
c,p,usd o. hs r- con strg Of hi wife four chill
dr,n ald sarvE1 sld Nr EusJ Hy h vile md 'ctvan'f.
Tue Tr,ut ls': he p)r, o. HtvSua aoou' oe5ek,
NJ on tic m1rU.oE It tac b uls, and pr-se.t her
VOYAGE rirtcr .Ctlv uItl Intercepted b. the United
S,.s steamer IN Jac'rto, uadrr your command
the dgy foI1wDg he irs'.) in the manner now to
be 's.S'st
when tho Sn J,cin,o was observed several miles
di,4p tie Trent was uuss1irc tie usual course o, her
VOYAGE alog me Old B'bams or NiShohs channsi was
nh,,t tEo hundred AID lo.v niles from Haylaa and Ia
& ,b. Of the linn house ut Plainn G-sGeH he San is
cltO then yns Stationary, nearly 80, abcu the mi
dla 81 The clarpcl and where il some hH,en ufs
v-4r az size. s1aFn ~ the chart the n,torality
pr,sed near enough to- te A,g 20 be distinguished 10
wa boied a. -. rc,E and t the MAN. and "a rem9n-
Cd or q time No A g w1s shown By The San ciuto.
When the Trent bad approached whia MD Of tbe
S,7 Jeint, sill pursuing he iu7 Of her yoysg",
sboued gru wa feed from tho latter ship across the
course Of the Trent and the Uaed States ag at the
s,us tm7 di7pl lysl at The peak.
T.s British tlg Egai Immediately hois'ei, a. be
fore By the Tr.nt. and remliHed. When tho Treut
htl ap9so,chei sl Ter course. within t~o or three
hu GS. ya-ds of th' Sa1 Jru,o secood sdoted gun
vas Gr,d from vou- ship again across tho course OF ,ie
Ts,rt Whru the Treut got tNn bsiaS DIS. IHee, her
cau'ain i.quifed wbll wanted The reply was u
De q. lod 10 b.. They woul send boat" Both ' 3.
aas were tie s.a'iOl,ry, E.1 steam stu. oH boat
wls soon put Of from your sn!o followed imm0da!dg
.hy two her bOlts, With fu crews, aud armed Sith
musk sts a.d si' h uJ-lln Ia the naval uni
firm OF the Uai.ei States NAVY, aud wish side arm,
boarded th Trent and in tfe presence of most OF the
plsssngsrs then assembled on Tho upper deck ssd to
Captain Noir that he came with orders 90 demsnd bis
ptsssnger List Toe captain retasei 10 produce i, and
formally prosstai acsilst any right visit his ship for
the purpose irdicl,ed. After 5ome conversation, i'm
porting renewed p'oes.5 on the part Of the captain
agaasJ the alleged act Of the visit, and on the part
OF the oi,er Of the san Jacin'o that he had only to
execute his orders the latter said
"rbat two gentlemen, nar.ing Mr. Sliell and Ma7Cn,
were known 70 b. on board also 70 other gentlemen,
mining Mr Elss aGd Eaclag!lnd aud that his orders
var. 20 take aud carry them board tha san Jlcnio
l. should have been noted that on fist addressing the
cfpin no agnOulcsi himself as h'u.eUgrt OF the Uni
I'd S.ass Gamer San Jc1O. Tee four gentlemen thus
n,red bai-g ze1t tho eu,sHaa. addressed Nc sdel
aud -f.rTard4 ~ Mason T5prang that his orders
to take them togshcr with Eus.is and ciirnd
a1d carry them o. board he ship NesTs ids aad Ma
son in reply protested IN h, presence Of the capt Of the
Tr,u' ts occrs and passengers. asaus sach ,bresten
ci violation OF their peroas aud h E tGhs and irtorm-
ed the euat that they would not lylye the ship they
were l unless o)npsisd BY lha ong1yn'nt OF actual
f,rcs grestr than they could r,s', and hs'a isiis
srd Ascsriau united With On m 10 sNo.t s'uy kr pur
p1sa Tns officer sstd o.. he Hoped h. would not be
c,np,led % g3o,; 70 th' uss o.. ogcs bl: /! T. sHogli
become recssry 20 employ IT, in order 10 execute his
orders, he vas ra-ed 70 10 go.
10 vas sp7Ser,i by the undersigned that they would
submit % such 1scsa alone. The heu'euaat thon vent
q tic cngsJy whore tis boats were, tho Undersigned
going the line 70 their saieroom] on The next
dsrk below followed by Cl7.ain Aor, and the other
pass,ngera. The lieutenant returned Sish party OF
lis men, plrion OF whom armed with aide arms,
and others, appearing 20 be squad oi uAgne' haVng
musl.sjs and bayonets Ar. 5 iiel was in his state
room immsiI,Clg o. aid in iul yi2g. The lieutenant
thea said 20 Mr. Mason that having his force nov pre-
sent he hoped b. relieved from the necessity OF call
i1g iutO actual use. That gentleman agAin answered
that he would only submit % acii force grsa'er than
F couli overcome when TIE egisHlnt and sov, raj Of
hi, men by his crdrr took hold Of him, and in manner
and in numbers s11ie5t 20 make resi3anes iFuiiles
]
or more Of the armed party took Ike bold oil hm, and
tho1, geltl,msn az once went ia,O the boa.
Duriag this scene many OF the passengers became
lrly exlspcrtcd and gave vent 10 the strongest eI-
p-cssions OF indignation seeming 20 Indicate pnrpoe
Of resistance on thcif par when squad Srned with
uuskets viii Otyo1el fixed, made sensible advance OF
,e or tEo pa,os wi,h their arm' at charge IL mu9,
b. aided here omitted in the c11rs5 ot the nerraton
,b,t before the parry si tn upper deck officer OF tho
Tent uamsi Williams in th5 naval ua Orm Of Gre 4
Bd.an md known 20 the plsse1g,T5 as having charge
~ he mall sud accom- anyGg them 20 Great Britain,
sid 20 ,he auenan. th1' 9s the only person pr sent
fnrsseD,ing bis government he iC ll1d up0n IN Ian
,ge AZ strong AID empsaG Ss be c0ud express, 70 de-
10 nee 10, Who'll pcccsedlg "a pgaiical ac,.
" SHd,ll and Nr. Hlsoa, l-eihcr "'th Me Ems is
ana NJ MscrlaJd D. against ~h,m force H. IKE miuoer
had been used taken 20 The S'a Jae Oo "a soon
a. thcv entered ths boat When they reached your sh p
....;v,l tberl near the esrgway, Announcing your.
self AZ Cart Wdkcs c0umIudcs OF tas eh p, and con
duessI them 70 cabin, vech you placed a. thel
6i4o-s.L When ttA und,raeGed caue eoiard iheJ
f,urd the m n a, trec quarters and tho guus bearing
n. tbo Tgen. Alter tme occnpi d IN bringing OF
bosrs opr h,pg1g, and effects the Sin cinto proceed
Cd 20 hs uoh Ksrl trr0ugd he Sou'hern Oh'nuel h'
Trent having been dsttined from three 20 Tour hours
TIE C,rr5ng il bell we'd n he correct narrative, "
suhsance Of the taets ard CFr'imsia cs Attending Ou
:. spd transfer from he Ei'ish nsil s'eamer N h'
bo ,n}er vour comnani aud which, Ne dorb' not WI
s ,1rroboated ny the Lieutenant present. IS well az ol
AL sho Witnessed them.
The incidents here figen in detail my not nave pee
i.pess,i bs each orc OF the unterigned, irdEiduay
b1, ,tsy we're by oae os moro Ct then. As, Tor th'
1st pirt they dd rot plss under yo1r ponee We nav.
Jg,nSd /, p-opsr 20 present them in this form oeiof
"a, storeSssg the wish II considered incorrect in anl
sTt tbs iaacsurl,ias may b5 psiated GU, with re
sDaf,i rsou sc that yoa E transmit copy OF the pa
nr 10 the Goggrnmens Of the Uoited Sta,es toSethe
b yonr report Of the transaction, to facilitate which
copy l. here si,h sGclo3ed.
W have tho honor to be, very respectfully your %
ser'11s., .5n JOHN sLIDELL