On this date 150 years ago, Ship Island, Mississippi, was the destination of a Union expeditionary force from Hampton Roads, Virginia. The intent was to set up a base of operations against New Orleans, Louisiana, and the general Gulf Coast area.

The "Trent" affair was becoming more serious as word of the unlawful seizure of Confederate diplomats reached Great Britain. In London, signs reading "Outrage on the British Flag" began to appear.