John Slidell

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John Slidell (1793 - 1871) was born in New York City. Although a northerner, he moved to Louisiana and became a U.S. Congressman and U.S Senator from that state. Prior to the Mexican-American War, Slidell was sent to Mexico, by President James K. Polk, to negotiate an agreement whereby the Rio Grande River would be the southern border of Texas. The Mexican government rejected Slidell's mission, and the United States declared war on Mexico on 13 May 1846.

During the Democratic Convention in Charleston, S.C. in April 1860, he plotted with "fire-eaters" such as Mr. William Yancey to defeat the only candidate who could have won the general election, namely, Senator Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois.

John Slidell was one of the two CSA diplomats involved in the Trent Affair in November, 1861. After having been appointed the Confederate States of America's commissioner to France in September, 1861, he ran the blockade from Charleston, S.C., with James M. Mason. They then set sail from Havana on the British mail steamer Trent, but were intercepted by the US Navy while en route and taken into captivity.

After the resolution of the Trent Affair, the two diplomats set sail for Europe on January 1, 1862. Slidell stayed in Europe after the Civil War; he died in London, and is buried in Paris.

The city of Slidell, Louisiana is named after him. He was the brother of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, a naval officer who commanded the USS Somers on which a unique event occurred in 1842 off the coast of Africa during the Blockade of Africa. In that incident, three crewmen were hanged after being convicted of mutiny at sea.