But that's not what the orders Anderson received on December 22 said. Here it is:
SIR: In the verbal instructions communicated to you by Major Buell, you are directed to hold possession of the forts in the harbor of Charleston, and, if attacked, to defend yourself to the last extremity. Under these instructions, you might infer that you are required to make a vain and useless sacrifice of your own life and the lives of the men under your command, upon a mere point of honor. This is far from the President's intentions. You are to exercise a sound military discretion on this subject.There's no revocation of Anderson's authority to move to the most defensible position, only a statement that, if attacked and unable to hold out out, he is empowered to surrender.It is neither expected nor desired that you should expose your own life or that of your men in a hopeless conflict in defense of these forts. If they are invested or attacked by a force so superior that resistance would, in your judgment, be a useless waste of life, it will be your duty to yield to necessity, and make the best terms in your power.
This will be the conduct of an honorable, brave, and humane officer, and you will be fully justified in such action. These orders are strictly confidential, and not to be communicated even to the officers under your command, without close necessity,
Very respectfully,
JOHN B. FLOYD."
Anderson never received the instructions he asked for on December 22 to move his garrison.
And the lack of direction from Washington left him with his original orders and his initiative as a United States officer trying to protect his command.
Buchanan's reaction after leaning than Anderson had moved into Sumter...
Yeah, well there's little doubt that Buchanan wasn't exactly on top of the situation. But it's noteworthy that Buchanan refused to order Anderson to return to Moultrie and within a few days had order the Star of the West to reinforce him, so it couldn't have been that directly opposed to anything Buchanan wanted. Mostly what Buchanan wanted was to go home before the shooting started.
It is neither expected nor desired that you should expose your own life or that of your men in a hopeless conflict in defense of these forts. If they are invested or attacked by a force so superior that resistance would, in your judgment, be a useless waste of life, it will be your duty to yield to necessity, and make the best terms in your power.
By moving to Sumter, Anderson had placed his men in a basically hopeless, isolated position defending a fort, greatly angered the population around him, and made achieving peace that much more difficult. This was exactly what Buchanan did not want him to do, and Floyd's order had made clear.
If Anderson was afraid of rumors of being attacked by a mob at Moultie before (despite assurances from Charleston leaders that they would disperse such a mob if one were to appear), what did he expect to result from sneaking past the SC picket ship at dusk, overpowering a SC ship's captain, hijacking his boat, and charging workmen at Sumter with fixed bayonets?
Here’s how South Carolinians reacted to Anderson's move to Sumter. From page 8 of the Jan. 1, 1861, New York Times, reporting an article from the Charleston Courier of Dec. 28, 1860. (Italics as reported in the Times):
The newspaper offices were besieged, the hotel halls were thronged, and even the grave and serious gentlemen composing the State Convention shared in the general excitement. On all hands anger and indignation was expressed at the supposed perfidious conduct of the Federal authorities, at whose instance it was first thought the movement was made. The people were greatly incensed at the idea of a willful breach of those assurances of non action which had been volunteered by the Government at Washington and upon which so much reliance and confidence had been placed by the entire population, that every impulse to take the necessary precautions for their own safety had been restrained.
Instinctively men flew to arms. Orders were immediately issued to the following Companies to hold themselves in readiness for service: Washington Light Infantry, Capt. C. H. Simonton; Carolina Light Infantry, Capt. B. G. Pinckney; Meagher Guards, Capt. Ed. McCready, Jr.; altogether forming a portion of the Regiment of Rifles, commanded by Col. J. J. Pettigrew and Major Ellison Capers; also, to the Marion Artillery, Capt. J. G. King; Lafayette Artillery, Capt. J. J. Pope, Jr.; Washington Artillery, Capt. G. H. Walter; German Artillery, Capt. C. Nohrden; all under command of Lieut. W. G. De Saussure; Adjutant, Jas. Simmons, Jr.; Sergeant-Major, E. Prioleau Ravenel; Quartermaster-Sergeant, J. R. Macbeth; Surveyor, A Barbot: Surgeons, P. Gervais Robinson and Middleton Mitchel. Also, the Palmetto Guard, Capt. Thomas Middleton, and Cadet Riflemen, W. S. Elliot.
All the military forces thus ordered out promptly obeyed the summons, and the streets were soon enlivened by the appearance of individual members of the different organizations in their uniforms.
Anderson really escalated tensions by his move and put his president in a difficult position. Another article from that issue of the Times quoted from the Courier as saying:
Maj. Robert Anderson, U. S. A., has achieved the unenviable distinction of opening civil war between American citizens by an act of gross breach of faith.
There's no revocation of Anderson's authority to move to the most defensible position, only a statement that, if attacked and unable to hold out out, he is empowered to surrender.
The word "invested" in Floyd's cable means enclosed or surrounded. Sumter quickly became surrounded by a determined, if not outright angry, superior force. Was that not Anderson's fault? Could he not see what would happen? Anderson's move also caused great dissension in Buchanan's cabinet and resulted in Buchanan having to go back on his word to South Carolinians. Buchanan's promise to South Carolinians to maintain the status quo in the forts was discussed in those contentious cabinet meetings. Buchanan did not deny in those cabinet meetings that he had made those promises according to two of his Northern cabinet members.
But it's noteworthy that Buchanan refused to order Anderson to return to Moultrie …
If you'll remember, several Northern members of Buchanan's cabinet threatened to resign if Buchanan ordered Anderson back to Moultrie. Buchanan had already lost two cabinet members in early December. Two others were leaving or would leave the cabinet under suspicion of corruption (one later defended himself successfully against those charges in court, IIRC). Thus, if Buchanan ordered Anderson back to Moultrie he would have lost six or seven cabinet members in the space of a month. His government basically would have collapsed.
… within a few days had order the Star of the West to reinforce him [Anderson], so it couldn't have been that directly opposed to anything Buchanan wanted.
Not that I trust Buchanan’s public statements particularly, but he did state to Congress in December 1860 that there was no authority in the Congress or any arm of the Federal Government to coerce states. However, events and the cabinet putsch overcame his recognition of the historical limits on the powers of the central government. This resulted in the Star of the West incident. Buchanan later also secretly sent reinforcements to Fort Pickens, but he backed off ordering them into the fort when their mission became publicly known and he was told it would result in a shooting war.
I think in the end, Buchanan was happy to leave the question of war and coercion to Lincoln, who did not shirk from taking actions that were sure to lead to war despite the Constitutional Convention having voted against the coercion of states. Just my opinion.