Among the notable political prisoners confined in these rooms were James Murray Mason and John Slidell, two Confederate envoys to Great Britain. Their arrest on board the British steamer Trent provoked an international incident and nearly brought Great Britain into the Civil War. The envoys were released after two months imprisonment on order from President Lincoln in January, 1862. Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, was imprisoned for six months after the end of the War. He was at first held in solitary confinement, but later enjoyed more comfortable quarters, special meals and access to the fort library.

Photo: Library of Congress

Photo: Internet Archive

Photo: Don Morfe

Photo: Don Morfe

Photo: Don Morfe

Photo: Don Morfe

Boston, Massachusetts · USA