Posted inUS Civil War

January 30, 1861 – The Position of Maryland

A letter from New York on the position of Maryland is published in the Washington Constitution of yesterday. The writer views the arguments of Governor Hicks, in refusing to convene the Legislature, and says:

Maryland is now the great trump card of the Republicans, and is being skilfully played against the more western border States, as will be seen by the numerous Northern complaints to Gov. Hicks for his patriotism, (which word sometimes means love of an office in one’s own State, ) and in the very many articles, so called, of the Herald of this city, (see this day’s issue,) done, apparently, to order, as Bennett does everything, for the laudable motive of increasing the sale of so many more copies of that ever-inconsistent, yet powerful sheet, for good or ill.

Posted inUS Civil War

January 27, 1861 – The Secession of Louisiana

Baton Rogue, Jan. 26, 1861

The delay ordinance, moved to be substituted for the secession ordinance reported by the Committee of Fifteen, was voted down yesterday by an immense majority.

Commissioners Manning, of South Carolina, and Winston, of Alabama, made eloquent addresses in favor of immediate secession.

There was an animated debate last night on the resolution for submitting the secession ordinance for ratification to the people. The advocates of immediate secession abstained from all debate. There was no extreme opposition to the ordinance.

Illustration of a sailing vessel, from The Polynesian newspaper, 1861
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January 26, 1861 – Later Foreign News

By the arrival, on Monday last, of the clipper ship Fair Wind, Capt. Crowell, in 8 days 17 hours from San Francisco, we have received that city’s journal to the 12th inst., containing telegraphed news from the East, to December 23 from St. Louis, and December 16 from Queenstown, Ireland, and Australian papers to October 12th.

The passage of the Fair Winds the quickest ever put on record between this place and San Francisco. By it we are in receipt of European news only 30 days old, and 24 days from the Eastern States.

Colored Currier & Ives lithograph of Fort Pickens
Posted inUS Civil War

January 22, 1861 – The Pensacola Forts

The Daily Exchange, Baltimore, MD

Popular interest in warlike movements now centres nearer at home than when Charleston was the only point from which radiated the war excitements of the day. The immediate interest of at least three States—Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, is now becoming alive to the importance of occupying the forts within the borders of the latter Commonwealth. We see repeated at Pensacola, the manoeuvre of Anderson at Moultrie. There are three forts at Pensacola, a Navy Yard and a redoubt. Commandant Armstrong has abandoned the Navy Yard and Fort Barancas, removing munitions and spiking guns, and transferring his forces, amounting in the aggregate to between two and three hundred men, from the main land to Santa Rosa Island, has prepared to make good his position within the-immensely strong fortifications of Fort Pickens. Whether he has abandoned Fort McCree, also, we are not advised, but we doubt if he has. This fortress is a powerful and castle-like masonry erection, built on a low sand-spit of the main land, and appearing to rise out of the water. It is further seaward than Fort Pickens, of which it is the vis-a vis across the channel, and a vessel entering must needs run the gauntlet of its guns before approaching the latter, which, however, of itself, effectually closes the harbor against the admission of an enemy of even very heavy force.