The newly elected governor of South Carolina, Francis W. Pickens, ordered the local Charleston militia, under Captain Charles Simonton, to patrol the harbor and to challenge and if need be sink any boats attempting to move federal troops between Forts Moultrie and Sumter.  If this were to happen, he was himself to occupy Fort Sumter immediately. Simonton commandeered a small steamer and began his patrols immediately. The patrol did not operate the night a week later when Major Anderson consolidated on Fort Sumter.  (By John Osborne) 

The United States Customs House and the United States Post Office in Charleston, South Carolina were commandeered in the name of the newly seceded Commonwealth of South Carolina, the U.S. flag replaced by the state's "Palmetto Flag." (By John Osborne) 

Following Major Robert Anderson concentration of his force at Fort Sumter, South Carolina militia units under Colonel J.J. Pettigrew were ordered to occupy the posts that he had left, Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island and Castle Pinckney.  Finding only a token force and the guns Anderson's men had spiked, the militia the next day garrisoned Fort Moultrie and equipped it with fifty-six pieces of artillery. (By John Osborne) 

The newly elected governor of South Carolina, Francis W. Pickens, wrote to President Buchanan asking that he, as governor, be allowed to occupy Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor with a small force of state troops to "give a feeling of safety to the community."  The message was delivered three days later in Washington but before action could be taken Pickens withdrew the letter as South Carolina had that day seceded from the Union.  (By John Osborne) 

A one hundred foot tall flagpole, in honor of the secession of South Carolina and flying the "Palmetto Flag" of that state, had been erected the day before in the center of Petersburg, Virginia.  In the early morning hours, however, persons unknown cut down the pole and carried away the flag.  The culprits were never caught and tensions in the town over secession remained high. (By John Osborne)

A break in pipes near 65th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City caused most of middle and lower Manhattan to lose its water supply.  New Yorkers were forced to depend upon public pumps and the police department supervised the opening of the street hydrants.  A fire broke out on the first night but near enough to the river to provide fire fighters with pumped water.  Water flow was restored late on the second day after the break. (By John Osborne)   

A small fire broke out in the Assembly's library at the New York State Capitol in Albany while the New York Electoral College was meeting.  The fire burned several bookcases and around a hundred volumes of bound documents before being quickly discovered and put out.  (By John Osborne)  

Newspapers reported that railroad casualties among passengers and crew during the year 1860 stood at total of 57 killed and 315 injured.  These happened in 74 incidents during the year.  This was a substantial decrease from 1859, when 129 people were killed in 79 crashes. The record high deaths during the decade was reported as 234 in 1853.  (By John Osborne)

 Robert W. Barnwell, James Orr, and J.H. Adams had been appointed as "Commissioners" to the United States from the newly independent South Carolina. They had arrived in Washington DC and communicated with the President of the United States, announcing their arrival and mission two days earlier. Buchanan's response was cordial in its non-recognition but gave a full explanation of federal actions in the crisis to the three as "private gentlemen of the highest character."  (By John Osborne)