If that's true, then why did Confederate newspapers report the same thing?
Were Confederates taking their orders from Washington and New York?
Did they know about the war fleet? The Confederate military may have known about it, but did newspaper people?
My point remains valid that I have gone through most of my life never having heard that Lincoln sent warships which were intended to attack the Confederates. Never heard of it.
Why are historians afraid to mention this very salient fact?