Winds of War (Part 5) February 1861

Events Over Past 50 Days

Chenango American, February 28, 1861

The N.Y. World gives a condensed statement of the events of the past fifty days in connection with the Secession movement, which the Buffalo Courier still further condenses as follows:

• On the 6th of November the people of the United States elected their fourteenth President - Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois.
• On the 20th of December, South Carolina with her white population of 208,186 passed an ordinance of secession.  This was followed by the seizure of the revenue cutter Aiken, and of the U.S. Arsenal.
• On the 26th of December, Major Anderson moved form Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, and so took the command of Charleston Harbor.
• On Sunday, Jan. 20th, Ship Island fort was taken by Capt. Howard.
• On the 24th [of January], Gov. Brown of Georgia seized the arsenal at August
• On the 25th of January Forts Pulaski and Jackson and the United States arsenal at Savannah, with Fort Mason and the arsenal at Fayetteville, N.C., were seized.
• Louisiana Seceded on the 26th [of January], about which time the revenue cutter McClelland fell into the hands of secessionists.
• Feb. 2d, the arsenal at Little Rock, Ark. was taken.  
• On the 3d [of February], Fort Morgan, near Mobile, and Mt. Vernon arsenal, were taken.
• On the 6th [of February], the arsenal at Apalachicola [was taken].
• On the 8th [of February], Forts Johnson and Caswell, North Carolina, were also seized.  The same day the Florida Convention adopted secession resolutions.
• On the 9th [of February] Mississippi followed suit, while at Charleston the New York steamer Marion was seized and the Star of the West fired into. The Montgomery convention proclaimed the "Confederate States of America," and elected Jeff Davis president of its provisional government.  The same day, five New York vessels were seized in the part of Savannah, by order of Gov. Brown, and subsequently released.
• On the 10th [of February] Fort McRea, at Pensacola [was seized]
• On the 11th [of February] Forts Pike, at St. Philip, and Jackson, with the arsenal at Baton Rouge, were seized.  The same day Alabama seceded.
• On the 12th [of February], Fort Barrancas and the Pensacola navy yard, were taken.
• On the 18th [of February], Jefferson Davis was inaugurated President of the Southern Republic and delivered his message.
• On the 19th [of February], Georgia seceded.