From the Oct. 17th Civil War Daily Gazette
Octiber 17, 1861, Thursday
The US Navy thought the two Confederate envoys, John Slidell and James Mason had boarded the CSS Nashville for their trip out of Charleston Harbor. The USS James Adger and USS Curlew were dispatched to intercept it. The Curlew was short on coal and turned back, but the Adger went all the way to England pursuing the Nashville.
The USS Connecticut was sent to Bermuda to gather any information it could on the Nashville and then to return to the New York Naval Yard if nothing could be found.
Meanwhile, Mason and Slidell were already in Cuba, arriving on the Theodora. Before reaching Havana, however, the coal supply was short and a stop was made in Cardenas, 100 miles to the east. The Theodora was accompanied by a Spanish steamer at this juncture, having helped guide the blockade-runner through the waters around the Bahamas.
There was a delay because the papers of clearance were for Havana and not Cardenas. During the day, Mason and Slidell landed.
By the time the two got to Havana, they found that they had just missed a ship bound for England by a day. The next ship going there was not set to leave for three weeks.
Missed It By [] Much. --Old B-R'er
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