Nope. Lincoln sent his ships to start a war a week before the first shot. In fact, the confederates only opened fire on the fort to stop it from being used against them once Lincoln's fleet arrived. It was the same preemptive strategy we just used to kick out Saddam.
Nonsense. Lincoln sent men and supplies to Sumter and Pickens in order to hold on to the forts belonging to the United States, just like he said he was going to do.
...and to provoke a war, hence his order that they fight their way into the harbor following the inevitable denial of access to the port by Charleston authorities.
Sure he did. And he made no secret of it. Sumter was an army post and the garrison there needed to be resupplied with food. As you quoted, Lincoln said in February that he would hold on to facilities, like Sumter, which were the property of the government. He sent word to the governor of South Carolina outlining his intentions and his hopes that the resupply would be accomplished peacefully. But that was not to be. The south was out to shoot at anything that came close.
...and to provoke a war, hence his order that they fight their way into the harbor following the inevitable denial of access to the port by Charleston authorities.
Any provocation was on the part of the Davis regime. Lincoln made his intent clear to Governor Pickens. Had be been allowed to land food only then no troops would have been introduced and the status quo would have been maintained. But instead Davis started the war he had wanted all along.