The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-05-29
Taking of Enjoys
Promised Trouble
Civil War Occurrence That
Threatened to Bring on
New War.
MO SINGLE incident in the history

of the Civil war threatened more
serious consequences and none
more excited the country than the
seizure of the Confederate ENJOYS to
Europe, James NJ Mason of Virginia
and John Slidell of Louisiana, on
board the British mail steamer Trent,
by officers of the U. S. navy.
Mason and Slidell were delegated to
solicit the recognition of the Confed-
eracy by England and France. They
had run the blockade at Charleston
and boarded the Trent at Havana to
go to st. Thomas, where they were to
board steamer for England.
Captain Wilkes of the United States
war steamer San Jacinto heard of
their movements and made inquiries
at Havana which led him to form q
plan for stopping the Trent and TAX
ing the ENJOYS from her.
To this end he took up station In
the Old Bahama channel, on the north
shore Of Cuba, where the steamer
must pass.
The San Jacinto sent solid shot
across the bow of the Trent, as she
came near, about noon on Nov s, 1861.
The captain of the English steamer
affected not to understand and shell
was next sent across his bow.
The Trent stopped. Captain Wilkes
ordered an armed party to board her
and take off the Confederate ENJOYS.
This partyNWas headed by Lieut. Don
aid Mcneil Fairfax.
BY curious fate the important
duty of apprehending these represen-
tatives of the Confederacy fell to an
officer of southern birth. Fairfax was
a member of the famous Fairfax fam
lily of Virginia, reat-great-grandson
of Bryan, eighth Baron Fairfax, and
he had entered the navy from North
Carolina
Mounting to the steamers deck
alone, Lieutenant Fairfax requested
the captain to show him her passenger
list. The captain refused
Hearing their names, Mason and
Slidell came from the cabin. Lieuten-
ant Fairfax told them 1t was his duty
to take them with him to the San
Jacinto. They replied that force only
could make them 60 They then re-
tired to their cabins. Their families
were with them, and here a scene of
a trying nature took place.
The armed men in the naval boat
alongside, hearing an alteration on
deck-many of the passengers were
roundly abusing Lieutenant Fairfax
had by this time come up the side.
Lieutenant Fairfax sent to the San
Jacinto for more men and twenty-four
came These were stationed in the
cabin and on the deck of the Trent.
Lieutenant Fairfax took Senator
Mason by the shoulder and escorted
him to the gangway, where he was
taken in charge by another officer.
Senator Slidell declared more force
would be needed to take him, but he
was led by the arm to the side. The
two secretaries of the ENJOYS went
with them.
When the boats Of the San Jacinto
showed off the Trent resumed her voy-
age
The Confederate ENJOYS were taken
to Boston and put into Fort Warren.
The British government demanded
their release on penalty of war, they
having been taken when under the
British flag; and as there was tech
meal flaw in Captain Wilkes act. in
his not having seized the vessel for
adjudication before prize court, the
United States government, under the
pacific influence of President Lincoln.
surrendered the ENJOYS.
The incident served, however, great
~ to lessen their influence when final
ly they arrived in Europe, as the gov
ernments of both England and France
recognized them only as private gen.
tlemen."