A "relief" expedition does not constitute ranks of riflemen, and naval warships ordered to attack the Confederates. That they did not attack was immaterial. They had been ordered to do so, and so far as the Confederates believed, they would carry out those orders.
Just because a blow is thrown but does not land, doesn't mean it didn't happen. Lincoln threw the first blow. The Confederates landed the first blow.
I really don’t want to fight the Civil War all over again.
It never really finished. What we see today is the New York and Washington DC power blocks trying to retain control of their power in the Senate with their 11th hour attacks against Roy Moore. They are doing this because he represents a small threat to their hold on power, and so they are fighting back.
These people are effectively the "establishment" descendants of those who protected their power by launching the Civil War. New York and Washington DC have ruled the nation ever since, and people nowadays don't see that there is an "establishment" cartel intent on retaining power regardless of what the people want.
It is no accident that the national Media "news" outlets are controlled by people in New York.
Fox’s orders were to resupply the fort with food only. If that was allowed to happen, then the ships and men were to return to New York. If the Confederate Officials resisted the effort to resupply Fort Sumter with food, then Fox was authorized to use the forces at his disposal to resupply the Fort. This is in line with the letter that he directed Seward sent to Governor Pickens of South Carolina on the 8th of April.