dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. sˈɪvəl wˈɔːɹ, hiː wʌzɐ kənfˈɛdɚɹət mˈɪlətˌɛɹi ˈeɪd tə luːˌiːzɪˈænə sˈɛnəɾɚ dʒˈɑːn slˈaɪdəl ænd wʌz kˈæptʃɚd ɐlˈɔŋ wɪð slˈaɪdəl ænd dʒˈeɪmz mˈɜːɹeɪ mˈeɪsən ɐbˈoːɹd ðə stˈiːmɚɹ ˌɑːɹɹˌɛmˈɛs tɹˈɛnt baɪ jˈuːniən nˈeɪvi kˈæptɪn tʃˈɑːɹlz wˈɪlks ɪn wʌt bɪkˌeɪm nˈoʊn æz ðə tɹˈɛnt ɐfˈɛɹ.
During the U.S. Civil War, he was a Confederate Military Aide to Louisiana Senator John Slidell and was captured along with Slidell and James Murray Mason aboard the steamer RMS Trent by Union Navy Captain Charles Wilkes in what became known as the Trent Affair.