Georgia seizes New York ships in reprisal for New York police confiscation of arms bound for Savannah

The Governor of Georgia ordered the seizure of five New York-owned trading vessels in the port of Savannah and threatened to hold them until the shipment of arms that the New York Department seized on February 22, 1861 on the New York docks.  Mayor Wood of New York refused to support his police two days later and called the matter an "illegal unjustifiable seizure of private property."  The Police Chief, under threat of a writ, returned the arms the next day and the New York vessels were released the day after that.  (By John Osborne)