December 26, 1860
- Major Robert Anderson transfers his small command from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter on his own initiative. He felt it was impossible to hold Fort Moultrie against the South Carolina militia and believes the former location will soon be attacked and that the change of location is necessary to “prevent the effusion of blood.” South Carolinians view the troop transfer as a violation of their agreement with Buchanan to maintain the status quo.
(The image is of Anderson’s troops spiking the guns at Fort Moultrie; from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, January 5, 1861)