| October 16 |  |
Editor says, what if John Brown had tried something rather different? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the June 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1859, on this day a group of raiders led by the Northern abolitionist John Brown seized the coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor sending the Federal soldiers away in small boats.
Siege of Fort SumterWith merchant shipping diverting to safer ports, the immediate lost of commerce forced the South Carolina Militia to launch a strike on Federal Property that would be viewed as an Act of War by US President Matthew C. Perry.
In fact the complete surprise achieved by the raiders was due to Allan Pinkerton's tight control of operational security. Brought into Brown's confidence as security enforcer, he had soon discovered that the original plan to seize the arsenal at Harper's Ferry had been compromised such that it was unlikely they would achieve their goal of arming freemen and slaves to create a general servile insurrection.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: President Perry Source: Wikipedia Labels: John Brown, Civil War, Matthew Perry, Fort Sumter, Harper's Ferrry. Editor says, many thanks to Allen W. Donnell, Eric Oppen, Jeff Provine and Scott Palter for their contributions to the development of this story
~ Good twists.
~ Interesting. With Pinkerton on the anti-slavery fight instead of pursuing his detective agency, Brown could do so much better.
~ The actual Harpers Ferry Raid was resisted by local militiamen, which was not considered an act of war against the Feddle Gummint...why would President Perry side with JB against the South Carolinians? Concept is MP not sympathetic at all to JB but resents militia seizing and holding Federal Property e.g. wants USN to evict JB not militia
~ It is unlikely that any president would provide protection to raiders occupying Federal property. Confusion the USG objects to South Carolina militia occupying Federal Property they also want to seize John Brown but they want to do it first, requiring access to Charleston Harbour. South Carolina wants to do so herself to restore southern pride / resolve the situation more quickly..
© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
