CAPTAIN WILKES’S SEIZURE OF MASON AND SLIDELL.

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them, and adding that their commanders had expressed great indignation,and would make the most of our treatment of one of their merchantmen.“ Really,” she added, “Captain Wilkes is playing into our hands!” Mr. Masonhere suggested that it would be just as well not to discuss these matters atsuch a time. Captain Wilkes’s offer of his cabin was conveyed by me toMrs. Slidell and Mrs. Eustis, and declined by both ladies.

After the first uproar had subsided, I sent the boat to Captain Wilkes tosay that these gentlemen were all on board, and had objected to being sentto the San Jacinto , and that I mustuse force to accomplish my orders;

I asked for a boat to carry themcomfortably on board, another fortheir baggage, and a third to carrystores, which the paymaster’s clerk,at Captain Wilkes’s order, had al-ready purchased from the stewardof the Trent , to add to the comfortof the new guests.

REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES WILKES. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

When all was ready and theboats were in waiting, I notifiedboth Mr. Mason and Mr. Slidell thatthe time had come to send them tothe San Jacinto. They came quietlydown to the main-deck, and thererepeated that they would not go un-less force was used—whereupontwo officers, previously instructed,escorted each commissioner to theside, and assisted them into the com-fortable cutter sent especially for them. The two secretaries followed them intothe boat without making opposition. At this stage of the proceedings anotheroutcry was raised by the passengers—noise enough to cause Lieutenant Greer,who was waiting for these gentlemen to accompany them on board, to senda corporal’s guard inside of the main-deck cabin. This produced considerableconsternation among the ladies near by, but it was soon allayed by CaptainMoir, and the marines were sent back outside. They had been sent in one ofthe boats by Captain Wilkes’s order, under the impression that they might berequired. Some machinists also came, in the event of the Trent being takenas a prize; they were not needed, and were sent back to their ship a littlewhile before I returned to make my report. Commander Williams wasreported as saying when he went to England that I had caused marines tocharge upon defenseless women and children with fixed bayonets. The men, ofcourse, had their muskets at “carry” or “shoulder,” and moved into the cabinwith quick step—but there was no other foundation for the statement. Againhe represented, and it was pictured in one of the London illustrated papers,that- Miss Slidell, for some cause or other, had struck me in the face. This