Surrendered With A Receipt

The Confederate Florida State Militia took position of Fort Marion in St Augustine, Florida on January 7^th 1861, three day before the state seceded from the Union.

Twenty-five Florida State Militia from the town of Fernandina, Florida captured Fort Marion on January 7^th 1861 from one lone Union Army Sergeant.  The Sergeant wouldn’t surrender the Fort until he given a receipt.  All but five of guns located at the Fort were moved to other Confederate forts.  Three days later the state of Florida seceded, but the news didn’t reach St Augustine until January 12^th 1861.  The town celebrated by raising flags, ringing church bells and firing church bells, followed that night with a torchlight parade.

Fort Marion and the town of St Augustine was reclaimed by Union Marines and Navy, who landed unopposed from the USS Wabash and USS Mohican on March 11^th 1862.

Reoccupied Without A Shot

Union troops re-took the city of St Augustine, Florida and Fort Marion from the Confederates on March 11^th 1862.

Fort Marion located at St Augustine, Florida was a small Union Army garrison with one Sergeant on January 7^th 1861, when it was taken over by about 25 Florida State Militia from Fernandina, Florida.  The Sergeant received a receipt for the fort from the Confederacy and it was surrendered without a shot.  Three days later the state of Florida seceded from the Union.  On March 11^th 1862 Union Marines landed from the USS Wabash and USS Mohican without opposition and were able to reoccupied St Augustine and Fort Marion.  The Fort was used as a military prison for the rest of the Civil War.

Hung For A Slave Trader

Nathaniel Gordon was hung on February 21st 1862 as a slave trader.


Nathaniel Gordon was born about 1834 in Portland Maine. Using his ship the “Erie” he loaded 897 black Africans, raging in age from 6 months to forty-seven near the Congo River in West Africa. He and the ship were capture on August 8th 1860 by the USS “Mohican”. He was brought to trial for being engaged in the Slave Trade, using the Piracy Law of 1820. Gordon’s first trial ended in a hung jury, but the second trial held in New York City brought a conviction on November 9th 1861. He was sentenced to death by hanging on February 7th 1862. President Abraham Lincoln issued Gordon a stay of execution, so that he could his affairs in order. The night before the execution Gordon tried prevent the hanging by using strychnine to committed suicide. He was unsuccessful and became the only American ever executed for being a slave trader on February 21st 1862.