Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/294

 282 Southern Historical Society Papers.

further action by the people of the Northern States, or for an "overt act," as it was termed. In February, 1861, an act of the General Assembly of North Carolina submitted to the vote of our people the question of calling a convention of the people which was to take into consideration the question of the secession of the States from the Union. The interest in this matter and the excitement through- out the State were very great. There were able and active advo- cates both in favor of, and in opposition to, secession, and the re- sult of the election was the defeat of the call for a convention by the small majority of 194 votes. A vote with a similar result, and by a much larger majority, was also had in Tennessee.

For some reason it has been believed, and often stated, by many of our people that the majority of the State against the call of a convention was very large, some say "overwhelming." Like many other popular beliefs, and much of so-called history, it has no foundation in fact. The above are the official figures, as may be seen by referring to the published vote of the State, and the proc- lamation of Governor Ellis announcing the same.

FORTS HELD BY FEDERAL TROOPS.

At the time of the withdrawal of South Carolina from the Union, Forts Moultrie in Charleston harbor and Pickens near Pensacola, Florida, were garrisoned and held by Federal troops.

South Carolina, being no longer in the Union, sent commissioners to Washington to treat for the peaceable possession of the forts at Charleston, promising " that there should be no attack upon the forts pending negotiations." The United States government did not consent to surrender the forts, but agreed that " the military status of the forts should not be disturbed." In spite of this Major Anderson, in command at Moultrie, on the night of December 26th, 1860, spiked the guns at the fort, burned their carnages and trans- ferred the garrison, with equipment and stores, to Fort Sumter. This was plainly a violation of faith and agreement, and the State at once seized and occupied all forts, arsenals and other public buildings within its borders. Other States quickly followed this example and forts in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and elsewhere were seized and garrisoned by the State government to prevent their occupation by the United States government.

On the ist of January, 1861, a committee from Wilmington waited on Governor Ellis at Raleigh and urged occupation of Fort Caswell at the mouth of the Cape Fear river. For this there was