Mason, James Murray

Mason, James Murray, 1798–1871, U.S. Senator and Confederate diplomat, b. Georgetown, D.C.; grandson of George Mason. He began to practice law in Winchester, Va., in 1820. Mason served in the Virginia legislature (1826–27, 1828–31), in the House of Representatives (1837–39), and in the U.S. Senate (1847–61). A staunch supporter of Southern rights, he drafted the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and advocated secession. Jefferson Davis appointed him Confederate commissioner to England in Aug., 1861. Along with John Slidell, Mason was seized aboard the British ship Trent by Capt. Charles Wilkes, commanding the U.S. warship San Jacinto, and was held prisoner at Fort Warren, Boston, until Jan., 1862 (see Trent Affair). After his release he went on to England, but he was never officially recognized by the British government.

Bibliography

See biography by his daughter, Virginia Mason (1903).

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Mason, James Murray

(born Nov. 3, 1798, Fairfax county, Va., U.S.—died April 28, 1871, Alexandria, Va.) U.S. politician. A grandson of George Mason, he practiced law in his native Virginia from 1820. He served in the state legislature (1826, 1828–32), the U.S. House of Representatives (1837–39), and the U.S. Senate (1847–61). An advocate of secession, he resigned his Senate seat in 1861. Appointed Confederate commissioner to England, he was captured at sea with John Slidell aboard the Trent and imprisoned for two months (see Trent Affair). Released in 1862, he remained in England until 1865 but was unable to win support for the Confederate cause.