D.C. on the South bank 1961

In OTL, the Southern sector of the District of Columbia was returned to the state of Virginia in 1847. What if it was had been still a part of the F4ederal capital in 1861? Would this have had any affect on Virginian secession and the coming war?
 
Probably not on the Virginian Secession, but if DC's defences extend to the south bank of the Potomac and are in Union hands at the start, that gives the Union a potential staging point and the Confederacy an extra target to capture.
 
OT I've always wondered if Alexandria (the rest of the square) remained part of the District, would there have been a policy that headquarters of federal agencies have to be within the Federal District (with apologies to Bethesda and Langley)?
 
Probably not on the Virginian Secession, but if DC's defences extend to the south bank of the Potomac and are in Union hands at the start, that gives the Union a potential staging point and the Confederacy an extra target to capture.

The Union did in fact take control of the Virginia side of the river at the start of the war; that was necessary to defend Washington. Among the first Union war heroes - or martyrs - was one Elmer Ellsworth, who cut down a Confederate flag from the roof of a hotel in Alexandria, and was shot by the hotelkeeper on his way downstairs. And Arlington Cemetery is where it is because that land was Robert E. Lee's estate; someone figured they'd get Mrs. Lee out of the area (thus eliminating the possibility of her picking up useful information) if they started burying Union dead on her property.
 
No change on the Civil War - as pointed out, Alexandria was occupied the moment Virginia formally seceded.

There's no reason to limit the bureaucracy to within the District, especially once rail and road linked the suburbs up.

Virginia is a bit more conservative without Alexandria; DC is a bit bigger, but probably not enough to make it any more likely to get statehood or representation in Congress. It's equally unlikely that DC's electoral votes would come significantly earlier.

Honestly, I think this is a near-butterflyless change.
 
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