No military offensive of any consequence immediately preceded or followed it. No state of war immediately followed from it or preceded it. Therefore it cannot be pinpointed as the start of the war, and instead falls into the category of incedental skirmishes prior to the war.
it was the first evidence that the south would go to war to take Sumter.
Perhaps, but evidence is not the same as warfare or warfare's initiation. On the same note, that the feds tried to sneak in troops with the Star of the West is evidence of their willingness to use military force over Sumter, but it is not the same thing as The Lincoln's invasion of the south.
The Harriet Lane, on the other hand, fired on an unidentified ship as she was tasked with doing. It took place after The Davis and his regime had issued orders to fire on Sumter so the two are not related.
History says otherwise. Beauregard recieved word of the incident, prompting him to expedite the orders to open fire. Additionally those orders came in direct response to The Lincoln's action of sending a naval fleet to Sumter for military operation, of which the Harriet Lane was to be a likely participant. The events were therefore intwined together to a degree that is likely beyond the scope of your mental capacity.
No military offensive of any consequence immediately preceded or followed it.
Well, I see you finally read the timeline.
What you call of no consequence included seizing federal installations and property worth millions, including a U.S. mint.
It's hard to imagine how you can post this crap.
Walt
History does say otherwise. On April 10 Leory Walker, the secretary of war for The Davis cabinet, sent word to Beauregard that he was to demand that Sumter be evacuated immediately, and if Anderson refused then Beauregard was to 'proceed in such manner as you determine to reduce it." That was several days before the Harriet Lane arrived off the harbor.
The events were therefore intwined together to a degree that is likely beyond the scope of your mental capacity.
In your humble opinion?