Saturday January 26, 1861

Louisiana Secedes

Following Lincoln's election, the governor and legislature called for a convention to consider secession. The election was held on January 7, and the contest between the immediate secessionists and cooperationists was close. Less than two thousand votes apparently separated the two sides, with the bare majority tipping the secessionist scale. But the elections nevertheless gave a two to one advantage for straight-out secessionists at the convention. With the momentum in the deep South distinctly towards separation, the convention voted on January 26 to leave the Union. The final vote of 113-17 made Louisiana the sixth state to secede.

Bibliography: Thomas, Confederate Nation, pp. 54-55; Potter, Impending Crisis, p. 498.