Civil War Timeline / Chronology for January 1861

January 1, 1861	On New Year's Day Georgians go to the polls to elect either a pro-Union or pro-Seccession slate of delegates to a state convention to be held in Milledgeville. According to Gov. Brown the results are overwhelmingly pro-secession, however, later research by the Georgia Historical Society indicates that the returns were overstated in favor of the secessionists.	Georgia
January 1, 1861	A pro-Union meeting in Parkersburg (now West Virginia) resolves that "secession is revolution."	West Virginia
	First Wheeling Convention
January 3, 1861	Georgia militia under the command of Francis "Frank" Bartow seize Fort Pulaski, at the mouth of the Savannah River, from a single federal soldier and a contractor	Georgia
January 4, 1861	Alabama troops seize an arsenal near Mobile	Alabama
January 5, 1861	At the last minute General Winfield Scott substitutes the Star of the West, a New York based merchant marine vessel for the Brooklyn, a heavily armed and reinforced sloop ordered to sail to Fort Sumter to resupply the federal outpost. The Brooklyn, however, is to travel to Fort Sumter with the Star of the West.
	Star of the West
	David Farragut
	Winfield Scott
	Fort Sumter
January 6, 1861	Florida militia takes over a federal arsenal near Appalachiacola.	Florida
January 6, 1861	Maryland's pro-Union governor denounces secession in a speech to the residents of the state.	Maryland
January 6, 1861	Fernando Wood, mayor of New York, proposed that New York City should secede as well, allowing trade with both the North and South	New York
January 7, 1861	John Crittenden tries to resurrect his proposal on the floor of the Senate. It had earlier been killed by committee.
	John Crittenden
January 7, 1861	Virginia calls a special session of its Assembly to consider convening a convention on the question of secession.	Virginia
	Virginia Secession Convention
January 7, 1861	Special Tennessee legislative session to consider holding a secession convention begins in Nashville	Tennessee
January 9, 1861	Artillery fires on the Star of the West from Morris Island as it crosses into the main entrance channel to Charleston Harbor. As the ship comes about, Fort Moultrie opens fire, also with cannon shot. A mile and a half from Fort Sumter, the ship withdraws.	South Carolina
	Star of the West
	David Farragut
	Fort Sumter
January 9, 1861	Mississippi secedes from the Union	Mississippi
	Confederate Order of Secession
	Mississippi Ordinance of Secession
January 10, 1861	Florida secedes from the Union. They simply replace the term "United States" with "Confederate States" in their constitution	Florida
	Confederate Order of Secession
	Florida Ordinance of Secession
January 10, 1861	Major Anderson at Fort Sumter receives orders telling him to maintain a defensive position but to defend the fort.	South Carolina
	Fort Sumter
	Robert Anderson
January 11, 1861	Alabama secedes from the Union	Alabama
	Confederate Order of Secession
	Alabama Ordinance of Secession
January 11, 1861	South Carolina demands the surrender of Fort Sumter. Major Anderson refuses.	South Carolina
	Fort Sumter
	Robert Anderson
January 11, 1861	Federal soldiers seize buildings in St. Louis to prevent them from falling into Rebel hands	Missouri
January 12, 1861	Star of the West returns to New York City	New York
	Star of the West
January 12, 1861	Attorney-general I. W. Hayne leaves Charleston with a demand from Governor Pickens that the federal government surrender Fort Sumter	South Carolina
	Fort Sumter
January 14, 1861	Virginia Assembly approves a convention to consider secession	Virginia
	Virginia Secession Convention
January 15, 1861	Albert Sidney Johnston assumes command of the Department of the Pacific.	California
	Albert Sidney Johnston
January 16, 1861 January 19, 1861	Following two days of debate and a day of hammering out the wording of the secession document, Georgia votes to leave the Union on January 19.	Georgia
	Confederate Order of Secession
	Georgia Ordinance of Secession
January 16, 1861	The Crittenden Compromise dies on the floor of the Senate.
	John Crittenden
January 19, 1861	Virginia calls for a peace conference	Virginia
	Washington Peace Convention
	Virginia Secession Convention
January 19, 1861	Tennessee votes to hold a secessionist election.	Tennessee
January 21, 1861	All but 6 of the delegates to Georgia's Secessionist Convention sign the Ordinances of Secession	Georgia
	Georgia Ordinance of Secession
January 22, 1861	6 delegates to the Georgia Secessionist Convention issue a "statement of protest."	Georgia
	Statement of Protest to Georgia Secession
January 24, 1861	Lucy, a female slave from Wheeling who fled to Cleveland, Ohio, is returned to her owner. She is the last slave to be returned under the Fugitive Slave Law	West Virginia
January 26, 1861	By a vote of 112 to 17, the Louisiana Secessionist Convention votes to secede from the Union	Louisiana
	Confederate Order of Secession
	Louisiana Ordinance of Secession
January 26, 1861	The sovereign state of Mississippi establishes a state flag: It featured a white, five-pointed star on a dark blue canton (commonly called the Bonnie Blue), a field of white with a magnolia tree and a red banner on the fly end.	Mississippi
January 29, 1861	Kansas admitted to the Union	Kansas
	Bleeding Kansas
	Kansas becomes a state
January 30, 1861	Louisiana Secessionist Convention selects 6 delegates to represent the state at the Convention of Seceded States in Montgomery, AL	Louisiana
	Convention of Seceding States