This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/14/2026
This rare 2 3/4 by 3 1/2-inch tintype pictures a man who was a major celebrity during the Civil War but is mostly forgotten today. He is Captain Charles Wilkes of the USS San Jacinto, who ordered the removal of Confederate envoys James Mason and John Slidell from the British mail packet RMS Trent in 1861. This caused an international incident and almost led to war with Great Britain. Wilkes became a hero but the resulting uproar forced Abraham Lincoln to back down and release the envoys. First time we've offered this unusual Civil War item.