the georgia general assembly summoned delegates to a secession convention in milledgeville which began january 16, 1861—with bartow nominated for chatham county's delegation. on may 28, 1861, elections were held to select representatives to the convention, and bartow emerged as a delegate, along with john w. anderson and a. s. jones. bartow however, was on military duty that day as governor joseph e. brown had previously given orders to retake fort pulaski (located near the mouth of the savannah river)—recently seized by federal military forces. brown entrusted the task to bartow and the oglethorpe light infantry. bartow's expedition successfully recaptured the fort on june 15, largely due to his artillery under col. alexander lawton.