‘Other than leading them to believe all the forts were to be turned over to them’
if the Confederates were so easily duped, that’s their problem, isn’t it...? though it’s again nothing more than a matter of opinion, as everything is with you, as to whether Lincoln led them to believe any such thing...
‘The act of spiking and burning the cannons is something one does to an enemy.’
uh, not when you do it to your own guns...
‘The confederates immediately saw it as a belligerent act.’
so, what you’re basically stating is that the Confederacy, thinking themselves to be in mortal danger because they hadn’t been fired upon by the gunboats, and in the case of Moultrie could not physically be fired upon, and because they were angered after being duped by Anderson’s desperate gamble of occupying Sumter, decided to kick off a civil war by firing the first shot...does that about sum up your argument...?
Well let's see. According to Abner Doubleday, we had the Secretary of War John Floyd telling them that the forts were to be turned over to them, We had Seward saying so, and we had one or two Supreme Court justices telling the Southern delegates that the fort would be evacuated. Additionally, the "National Republican" newspaper announced on March 11 that the fort would be evacuated.
Yes, they are pretty stupid to believe all those people about turning over the forts to them.
uh, not when you do it to your own guns...
When you have been telling people that they will be their guns, it has a different effect. One effect is that they think you are a liar about the one thing or the other, perhaps both.
so, what you’re basically stating is that the Confederacy, thinking themselves to be in mortal danger because they hadn’t been fired upon by the gunboats, and in the case of Moultrie could not physically be fired upon, and because they were angered after being duped by Anderson’s desperate gamble of occupying Sumter, decided to kick off a civil war by firing the first shot...does that about sum up your argument...?
Since you think the only thing that matters is the "first shot", I will now inform you that the Harriet Lane fired the first shot (32 pounder) against the "Nashville" before any shots were fired against Sumter.
I think having one of your ships shot at by another ship known to be part of a belligerent expedition in force is a pretty good indication that those ships are coming with hostile intent.