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When Florida seceded on [[January 10]], the commanding officer at [[Fort Barrancas]], Lieutenant [[Adam J. Slemmer]], decided to abandon Forts Barrancas and [[Fort McRee|McRee]] and consolidate Union forces at [[Fort Pickens]]. Slemmer explained his decision as strategically necessary:
{{cquote|I called on Commodore [James] Armstrong (Union Commanding Officer of the [[Navy Yard]]) ... He had received orders to cooperate with me. We decided that with our limited means of defense we could hold but one fort, and that should be [[Fort Pickens]], as it commanded completely the harbor and the forts and also the navy yard.|20px|20px|"Pensacola in the Civil War." ''Florida Historical Quarterly'', Vol. IX, No. 2, 1978.}}
[[Image:Reinforcement-fort-pickens.jpg|thumb|right|Reinforcement of Fort Pickens by the ''USS Brooklyn'']]
In the early months of 1861, while [[Wikipedia:James Buchanan|James Buchanan]] was still President, [[Stephen Mallory]] had negotiated a gentleman's agreement that stipulated the Union would not reinforce [[Fort Pickens]] as long as rebel troops did not attempt to take it. However, incoming president [[Wikipedia:Abraham Lincoln|Abraham Lincoln]] did not intend to honor the agreement, and on [[March 12]] ordered troops about the ''[[Wikipedia:USS Brooklyn (1858)|USS Brooklyn]]'' to land at [[Fort Pickens]]. The orders reached the ''Brooklyn'' on [[March 31]], and on [[April 12]] the troops successfully reinforced the fort.<ref name="Views" /> Additional troops were landed from the ''USS Atlantic'' on [[April 16]].<ref name="PICW" />
==Battle of Santa RosaIsland==In the [[{{main|Battle of Santa Rosa Island}}In September 1861, a schooner called the ''William H. Judah'', of which the Confederacy had contracted the use, ran the Union blockade and successfully entered Pensacola's harbor, docking at the navy yard. When it became apparent to Union forces that the Confederacy was attempting to outfit the ''Judah'' as a [[Wikipedia:Privateer|privateer]], they developed a plan to sabotage the city work. In the early morning hours of Pensacola [[September 14]], a Federal raiding party of about 100 sailors and marines in four small boats cast off from the two ''[[Wikipedia:USS Colorado (1856)|USS Colorado]]'' bound for the ''Judah''. Approaching the vessel at around 3:30 AM, they were greeted with musket fire from Confederate forts fought against an invading United States army guards; however, the raiding party successfully boarded the ''Judah'' and forces stationed set it aflame. The raiding party also managed to spike a gun battery at Fort Pickensthe navy yard before retreating. The small clash resulted in three deaths apiece on both sides, the first of the war in Florida, as well as several wounded.<ref name="PICW" /><ref>[http://www.flheritage.com/archaeology/projects/shipwrecks/legacy/shipwreck.cfm "U.S. Navy and Confederate Shipwreck Project."] ''Florida Division of Historical Resources''.</ref>
In response to the attack on the ''Judah'', Confederate general Braxton Bragg ordered an attack on [[Fort Pickens]]. A force of over 1,000 men under general [[Wikipedia:Richard H. Anderson|Richard H. Anderson]] set out from Pensacola on the evening of [[October 8]], landing on [[Santa Rosa Island]] about four miles east of Fort Pickens. From there the Confederate troops were divided into three groups: one which travelled on the north (Sound) side of the island, one which travelled on the south (Gulf) side, and a third which trvalled just behind both, used as a flank to connect the groups. After marching for three miles, the Confederate troops were spotted by an encampment of the 6th Regiment of the New York Volunteers and fired upon. However, the Confederate troops had the element of surprise and quickly overwhelmed the encampment, sending the 6th New York retreating back to Fort Pickens. Soon after, though, the Confederate general Anderson decided to retreat, during which Union forces pursued and caused extensive casualties. The retreat is described in the ''Florida Historical Quarterly'' article, "Pensacola in the Civil War":{{sect-stubcquote|As dawn was rapidly approaching, and the fort and batteries were alerted to his assault, [Anderson] abandoned his plans for any further attack and ordered his troops to march back to their original point of debarkation. In their hasty retreat, the Southerners found themselves being outflanked. As they were boarding the steamers, flats, and barges, the well trained Union infantry took careful aim from behind the closest dune ridge and showered the Confederates with large quantities of effective musketry that caused considerable death and injury. Florida's first major land battle ended when the steamers left the island for Pensacola. The Confederates reported a loss of 18 dead, 39 wounded and 30 missing or presumed prisoners of war. [Union commander] Colonel Brown stated his losses as 14 dead, 29 wounded and 24 prisoners.|20px|20px|"Pensacola in the Civil War." ''Florida Historical Quarterly'', Vol. IX, No. 2, 1978.}}
==Pensacola surrenders==
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[[Category:Civil War| ]][[Category:History]]