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Secession leads to the Navy Yard and 11 warships being burned by evacuating Federal forces.

April 20, 1861

Dr. White, Portsmouth’s delegate to the secession convention, voted against secession on April 17th though he did end up joining the Confederate army afterwards. One Portsmouth company, the Marion Rifles, was disbanded after 14 of the 15 soldiers voted against the secession referendum in May. While there were those Portsmouth citizens who served the Confederacy, there was also an unusual level of dissent throughout the city. The Navy Yard and city were occupied first by Virginia forces then by Confederate forces. Portsmouth, with only 900 voters, gave 1,400 men to the Confederate armed forces.

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