bingo!
The act of hostilities were started by Lincoln through his navel blockade of the south and his fortification of sea ports located in the south (e.g. Sumter, Hampton Roads,...etc) These were more than provocative since they could be used to block commercial shipping. Both sides were already a powder keg ready to go off.
Lincoln blockaded Southern ports in April 1861, when the South began the war.
The act of hostilities were started by Lincoln through his navel blockade of the south and his fortification of sea ports located in the south (e.g. Sumter, Hampton Roads,...etc) These were more than provocative since they could be used to block commercial shipping.
Lincoln declared a blockade of deep South ports on April 19, 1861. Jefferson Davis called for Southern ship captains to take Confederate letters of Marque (illegal in international law) and attack U.S. flagged ships on April 17, 1861. Sumpter had already fallen to the Confederates, Fort Monroe in Hampton Roads was not an issues because Virginia still remained in the Union.