You obviously did not read the OFFICIAL RECORD.
Nobody was starving, they were getting their food delivered from Charleston merchants until April 7, 1861, after the mission to reinforce and hold the fort was sent.
There was no humanitarian mission. The OFFICIAL ORDERS documented in the OFFICIAL RECORD prove that claim is false.
OFFICIAL RECORDS
SOURCE: OFFICIAL RECORDS, OPERATIONS IN CHARLESTON HARBOR, S.C. , Series 1, Volume 1, Page 236.
April 4, 1861
To: Lieut. Col. H.L. Scott, Aide de Camp
This will be handed to you by Captain G.V. Fox, an ex-officer of the Navy. He is charged by authority here, with the command of an expedition (under cover of certain ships of war) whose object is, to reinforce Fort Sumter.
To embark with Captain Fox, you will cause a detachment of recruits, say about 200, to be immediately organized at fort Columbus, with competent number of officers, arms, ammunition, and subsistence, with other necessaries needed for the augmented garrison at Fort Sumter.
Signed: Winfield Scott
There was no food shortage. It is well-documented that Fort Sumter had obtained food from the merchants of Charleston since shortly after Major Anderson moved there. It is well documented by the official records of both sides that the supply of food from the Charleston merchants was not cut off until April 7, 1861. After the South Carolina officials learned of the fleet that was sailing toward them, they cut off the food supply.
UNION CORRESPONDENCE
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No; 96.
FORT SUMTER, S. C., April 7, 1861.
(Received A. G. 0., April 13.)
Col. L. THOMAS,
Adjutant- General U. S. Army:
COLONEL:
I have the honor to report that we do not see any work going on around us. There was more activity displayed by the guard-
[248]
boats last night than has been clone for some time. Three of them remained at anchor all night and until after reveille this morning, near the junction of the three channels. You will see by the inclosed letter, just received from Brigadier-General Beauregard that we shall not get any more supplies from the city of Charleston. I hope that they will continne to let us have onr mails as long as we remain. I am glad to be enabled to report that there have been no new cases of dysentery, and that the sick-list only embraces six cases to-day.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
ROBERT ANDERSON,
Major, First Artillery, Commanding.
[Inclosure.l
HEADQUARTERS OF THE PROVISIONAL ARMY, C. S.,
Charleston, S. C., April 7, 1861.
Maj. ROBERT ANDERSON,
Commanding at Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor S. C.:
Sir:
In compliance with orders from the Confederate Government at Montgomery, I have the honor to inform you that, in consequence of the delays and apparent vacillations of the United States Government at Washington relative to the evacuation of Fort Sumter, no further communications for the purposes of supply with this city from the fort and with the fort from this city will be permitted from and after this day. The mails, however, will continue to be transmitted as heretofore, until further instructions from the Confederate Government.
I remain, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G.T. BEAUREGARD,
Brigadier- General, Commanding..
CONFEDERATE CORRESPONDENCE
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HEADQUARTERS QUARTERMASTER’S DEPARTMENT,
Charleston, January 19, 1861. Quartermaster- General:
You are ordered to procure and send down with the mails for Fort Sumter to-morrow a sufficient quantity of fresh meat and vegetables to last the garrison of Fort Sumter for forty-eight hours, and inform Major Anderson that you will purchase and take down every day such provisions from the city market as he may indicate.
D.F. JAMISON.
CHARLESTON, April 8, 1861.
Hon. L. P. WALKER:
Anderson’s provisions stopped yesterday. No answer from him. I am calling out balance of contingent troops.
G.T. BEAUREGARD.