Whether he saw it or not has nothing to do with the fact that he accepted that the 300 men were sailors and that they were to fight their way in. You guys were implying that a ship would not load up with 300 fighting sailors. Since this captain accepted that these were fighting sailors, that means that fighting sailors were a possibility.
They were to rendezvous prior to reinforcement of the fort. Powhatan was sent to Florida. It could have been manned by history's first transvestite army for all he knew.
So what you're saying is that the Confederacy attacked even without a ship bringing provisions. They started the war all right. lol
The orders called for 300 sailors (with one month's stores) from the Navy to man the ships, and 200 soldiers (with one year's stores), from the War Department with arms and ammunition. It was specifically the 200 soldiers (aboard Powhatan) who had the arms and ammunition, not the sailors specified for Pocahontas, Pawnee and Harriet Lane.
Sailors are not usually issued muskets to shoot from the rolling deck of a sailing ship. Only Non-Sequitur can seemingly remember sailors shooting muskets from the deck of the ship during his Navy days, but then he recalls that when the Lord said, "Let there be light!" he pulled the first generator watch.
Presumably the Vikings were armed with the original Tomahawk missile.
March 29, 1861
To the Secretary of the Navy
I desire that an expedition, to move by sea be go ready to sail as early as the 6th of April next, the whole according to memorandum attached: and that you co-operate with the Secretary of War for that object.
Signed: Abraham Lincoln
The memorandum attached called for:
From the Navy, three ships of war, the Pocahontas, the Pawnee and the Harriet Lane; and 300 seamen, and one month's stores.
From the War Department, 200 men, ready to leave garrison; and one year's stores.
April 1, 1861 by General Scott
April 2, 1861 approved by Abraham Lincoln
To: Brevet Colonel Harvey Brown, U.S. Army
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