you forgot to mention that Lincoln had countermanded Porter’s orders to Pensacola and had redirected him to join the Sumter resupply operation. Porter received those orders the day he sailed for Pensacola. Porter chose to ignore the them because the orders were from Seward. Seward did not note that the orders were “by orders of the President of the United States.” Seward, for what ever reason, did not put that statement in the orders Porter received. Could it be that some of this issue was Seward’s doing, not Lincolns
Not so far as Porter knew. He had orders directly from the President in his hands, and according to him, one of the things he and Lincoln agreed upon was that the chain of command was to know nothing of what he was being sent to do.
Porter was acting on the orders he had hand carried from Washington, and his deliberate efforts at belligerence very much imply that those orders were to start a war with the Confederates.
Seward, for what ever reason, did not put that statement in the orders Porter received.
And Lincoln, curiously did not instruct him to do so. From what I recall of what I have read, Lincoln and Porter agreed that he would obey no ones orders but the President, and so if Lincoln instructed Seward to send orders to Porter without mentioning they came directly from Lincoln, it would seem that Lincoln very well knew Porter would continue on with his hand carried orders from the President.
And those orders seemed to be, "Don't let anyone see you sailing past the War fleet rendezvousing at Charleston, and when you get to Pensacola, attack the Confederates there. "
I believe Lincoln's order relieving Mercer of command, is part of the public record, but Porter never released his orders for the public to see, and he does not say what they were in any of his books.
He talks about firing shells and grapeshot at the Confederates though, and pretty much states that was what he was going to do if Captain Meigs hadn't stopped him.
I believe I've posted the salient parts on this for you before.