Official Records of the Union and Confderate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volme IV, pp. 108-109
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924051350837&view=1up&seq=138
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. 4, p. 315
It appears to me Lincoln tried to get something started in Florida first and Captain Adams screwed up that plan which did not come from the Navy. Captain Adams contacted SecNav Welles. On the retry at SC and FL, Lincoln/Seward replaced the Captain of Powhatan and set her off with secret orders without informing SecNav Welles.
Or the Confederates, which is exactly why they saw the arrival of the ships as the threat Lincoln meant for them to see while making sure nothing happened.
It was a feint that made them react.