Alexander Macomb Mason.

About Alexander Macomb Mason

Alexander Macomb Mason (1841–1897), also known as Mason Bey, was an American naval officer, mercenary, explorer and diplomat. He was the grandson of General Alexander Macomb and great-grandson of George Mason. Born in Washington, DC, to a family with many professional officers in the United States Army and United States Navy, Mason served as a teenager aboard the frigate USS Niagara when that ship laid the first successful transatlantic cable in 1858. Mason then studied for three years at the United States Naval Academy before resigning in April 1861 to join the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. His wartime career included participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads, the Battle of Drewy's Bluff, and the blockade of Charleston. During 1863 and 1864 he traveled in England and France, serving briefly as private secretary to his uncle James Murray Mason. Captured at the Battle of Sailor's Creek in April 1865, Mason was imprisoned first at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC and then at Johnson's Island near Sandusky, Ohio.