You would not be entirely correct. Anderson was complaining about his supply situation from day 1, though his situation in January was nowhere near as bad as his situation in April.
No, as I remember it was an ice schooner bound for Savannah that blundered into the confrontation in Charleston Harbor by mistake.
Confrontation? It wandered into the harbor, was fired on, raised the Stars and Stripes, and was fired on some more. Hardly being confrontational.
[ns]: You would not be entirely correct. Anderson was complaining about his supply situation from day 1, though his situation in January was nowhere near as bad as his situation in April.
From Days of Defiance by Maury Klein:
The dwindling larder surprised Anderson. Instead of a six-month supply of staples, he barely had enough for four. The need for belt tightening forced him to another painful decision: The women and children had to be evacuated. Reluctantly he asked Pickens to permit one of the New York steamers to take the civilian dependents back to that city lest the shortage of supplies "produce sickness among them. Pickens granted the request readily, and on February 1 a lighter arrived to take the forty-two women and children to Charleston, where they were to board the steamer.
The steamer left on February 3 with the women and children.
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, stating that you are authorized by his excellency the governor to inform me that he has directed an officer of the State to procure and carry over with my mails each day to Fort Sumter such supplies of fresh meat and vegetables as I may indicate. I confess that I am at a loss to understand the latter part of this message, as I have not represented in any quarter that we were in need of such supplies.
What? Anderson's and Beauregard's forces weren't confronting each other?