On December 17th, 1861, Captain Charles Wilkes, the USS San Jacinto commander, intercepted the British steamer RMS Trent and captured two Confederate diplomats. American officials approved the act. However, President Lincoln quickly recognized the complications that could come out of this occurrence. When the news got to Britain, the public feeling was outraged, and officials viewed it as a violation of international law and the rights of Great Britain. The incident lasted two months, and the resolution came when the Americans delivered the prisoner to the custody of the British minister.
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