I would be real interested in hearing more about these "negotiations". Who were the principals? Do you have a link to historical evidence of these negotiations?
From what I've read when the southern states rebelled they immediately began seizing anything that they desired. These were federal installations that weren't the property of the rebelling states and they had no moral or legal right to seize them.. Buchanan, the lame-ass, lame-duck bleated that the south had no right - but beyond that said very little.
The following represents a list of federal properties which fell to the rebels outside of any negotiations:
Alabama seizures:
United States Arsenal at Mount Vernon
Fort Morgan
Fort Gaines
Arkansas seizures:
United States Arsenal at Little Rock
United States ordnance stores at Napoleon
United States subsistence stores at Pine Bluff
Fort Smith
Georgia seizures:
Fort Pulaski
United States Arsenal at Augusta
Oglethorpe Barracks
Fort Jackson
Dahlonega Mint
Louisiana seizures:
United States Arsenal at Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Barrack
Fort Jackson
Fort Saint Philip
Fort Pike
Fort Macomb
United States paymaster’s office at New Orleans
New Orleans Mint
Mississippi seizure:
Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island
Florida seizures:
United States Arsenal at Apalachicola
Fort Marion
Barrancas Barracks
Fort Barrancas
Fort McRee
Pensacola Navy Yard (Warrington Ship Yard)
Missouri seizures:
United States Arsenal at Liberty
United States ordnance stores at Kansas City
North Carolina seizures:
Fort Johnston
Fort Caswell
Fort Macon
United States Arsenal at Fayetteville
Charlotte Mint
South Carolina seizures:
Fort Sumter
Castle Pinckney
Fort Moultrie
United States Arsenal at Charleston
Fort Johnson
Texas seizures:
United States Arsenal at San Antonio
San Antonio Barracks
Camp Verde
Fort Clark
“From what I’ve read when the southern states rebelled they immediately began seizing anything that they desired.”
You should read “The Confederacy”, by Charles Roland.
The confederacy did not immediately go out and seize forts. Rather, they immediately sent a peace delegation to Washington DC, and offered:
- to pay a fair share of the federal debt
- to PURCHASE all federal installations in the south
- free passage of the Mississippi river.
That’s the first thing they did, if you’d like to know.
Now, just about every one of the installations you listed has something in common: No bloodshed. The local confederates knocked on the door, and the personnel (often one man) were told their time was up. And the personnel were allowed free passage to the north. Really only two forts held out, Sumter being one of them. Seems downright gentlemanlike.
Great post!
Great post.