January 10, 1861 - Key West Refuses to Secede from the Union - a podcast by 43 Keys Media

Key West was an awkward place to live when the Civil War broke out.

  The heavy military presence on the island meant that much of the island supported Union efforts, and with the critical Naval base fortified against capturing from the Confederacy, the island became even more firmly entrenched as a critical port for the Union during the Civil War.   The military had no plans to give up control of Fort Taylor or Fort Jackson, and military battalions were sent in to make sure those bases were firmly in Union control. Fort Taylor played a central role in the sea blockade carried out by the Union Army. soldiers   During this time, Key West had many prominent residents that were deeply Southern. They may not have been as committed to the Confederate as folks from Charleston or Savannah, but locally there was a contingent of Confederate sympathizers. The majority of Key West residents at the time were from the North, the Bahamas or Cuba, so many of the international transplant didn’t have a strong opinion about the war.    Although the state of Florida seceded from the Union, Key West remained under Union control. In fact, the Key West lighthouse was the only lighthouse in Florida that did not come under the control of the Confederacy. During this period, Key West was Florida’s largest and wealthiest city, so despite it’s small geographic footprint, its critical location and status in Florida gave it the ability to control its own fate more than other cities.   Inside the city of Key West, there were very clear alliances being made. On January 29, 1863, the Department of the South ordered that all Key Westers who had relatives in the Confederate Army and who had declined to take the oath of allegiance to the Union, or who had even spoken words disloyal about the Union were to be deported to Ft. Royal, SC, behind the rebel lines. As Union Commanders were preparing to carry out the order, the town was buzzing. Many seething at the audacity of such an order and others indignant that they were being forced out of their homes. This order brought protests from both Union sympathizers and Confederate loyalists.    Property was being sold, people were crying in the streets and it was just complete chaos. The Union men lodged a protest and soon Colonel T.H. Good was sent to Key West with the authority to suspend the deportation order if he saw fit. The day the deportation transport was set to leave with 600 Key West Confederate sympathizers aboard, Colonel Good arrived and immediately suspended sailing.    And it was today, January 10, 1861 that the State of Florida seceded from the Union, with Key West remaining loyal to the Union. Key West was the only southern city to remain in the United States during the Civil War.      

 

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