” Sending warships to attack was what *CAUSED* the war...
The Confederates had copy of the ships orders and knew they were coming. There had been no intention of attacking the fort until they got word that the ships were arriving. (USS Harriet Lane immediately fired at the “Nashville” upon arriving at the entrance to Charleston Harbor.)
Lincoln could not have made it any more clear that a military attack was about to hit Beauregard’s forces in Charleston.”
Utter howgwash.
The fort needed supplies. The Confederates did not want it re-supplied. Lincoln sent supplies.
Since the Confederates couldn’t starve the fort into submission, they attacked.
There was NO MILITARY ATTACK PLANNED! At some point, sanity and facts must prevail!
“The issue hung in the air when Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, stating in his inauguration address: “You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.”
Lincoln did not try to send reinforcements but he did send in food. This way, Lincoln could characterize the operation as a humanitarian mission, bringing, in his words, “food for hungry men.” He sent word to the Confederates in Charleston of his intentions on April 6. The Confederate Congress at Montgomery, Alabama, had decided on February 15 that Sumter and other forts must be acquired “either by negotiation or force.” Negotiation, it seemed, had failed. The Confederates demanded surrender of the fort, but Major Robert Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter, refused.
At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, the Confederate guns opened fire. For thirty-three hours, the shore batteries lobbed 4,000 shells in the direction of the fort.”
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fort-sumter-fired-upon
“Lincoln initially “believed that if he didn’t allow the South to provoke him, war could be avoided,” says Burton. “He also thought they wouldn’t really fire on Fort Sumter.” Because negotiating directly with Jefferson Davis would have implied recognition of the Confederacy, Lincoln communicated only with South Carolina’s secessionist—but nonetheless duly elected—governor, Francis Pickens. Lincoln made clear that he intended to dispatch vessels carrying supplies and reinforcements to Fort Sumter: if the rebels fired on them, he warned, he was prepared to land troops to enforce the federal government’s authority....
...For a month after his inauguration, Lincoln weighed the political cost of relieving Fort Sumter. On April 4, he came to a decision. He ordered a small flotilla of vessels, led by Navy Capt. Gustavus Vasa Fox, to sail from New York, carrying supplies and 200 reinforcements to the fort. He refrained from sending a full-scale fleet of warships. Lincoln may have concluded that war was inevitable, and it would serve the federal government’s interest to cause the rebels to fire the first shot.”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fort-sumter-the-civil-war-begins-1018791/
“Determined to avoid a bloody clash if possible, Lincoln notified South Carolina governor Francis Pickens (1805-1869) on April 8 of his plan to send ships carrying food and other supplies to Fort Sumter. Two days later, a small fleet of Union ships headed by Captain Gustavus Fox (1821-1883) set out for the fort from New York to deliver the provisions.
Upon learning of the Union plan to resupply Fort Sumter, Confederate president Jefferson Davis called his cabinet together to discuss their options. The letter that Pickens had received from Lincoln made it clear that Seward’s secret assurances of an impending federal departure from the outpost could no longer be believed. Davis and his cabinet were thus left with two choices: permit Fox’s fleet to carry out its mission to Fort Sumter, which would allow Anderson’s troops to man the outpost for several more months; or attack the garrison before the supplies could be delivered and risk triggering an all-out war with the Union.
Some Confederate leaders cautioned against launching any attack on Fort Sumter. “The firing on that fort will inaugurate a civil war greater than any the world has yet seen,” warned Confederate secretary of state Robert Toombs (1810-1885). “You will wantonly strike a hornet’s nest which extends from mountains to ocean, and legions now quiet will swarm out and sting us to death.” But Davis and many other leaders believed that the Confederacy needed to take a strong stand. On April 10, Beauregard was ordered to take the fort by force if he could not convince Anderson to surrender willingly.”
https://www.minecreek.info/abraham-lincoln/lincoln-attempts-to-send-supplies.html
“Welles sent Capt. Mercer, in command of the Powhatan, the following instructions, which the record has dated April 5.
“The United States [Navy] steamers Powhatan, Pawnee, Pocahontas, and Harriet Lane will compose a naval force under your command, to be sent to the vicinity of Charleston Harbor, for the purpose of. . . carrying out the objects of an expedition of which the War Department has charge (Scott is supplying the men and material and transports, Fox is to lead them.).
The primary object. . . is to provision Fort Sumter. . . Should the authorities at Charleston refuse to permit, or attempt to prevent the vessels from entering. . .you will protect the transports or boats, open the way for their ingress, and [remove] all obstructions to entry. . . The expedition has been intrusted to Captain G. V. Fox, with whom you will put yourself in communication. . .
You will leave New York with the Powhatan in time to be off Charleston bar, ten miles distant from and due east of the lighthouse. . . there to await the arrival of the transports (with Fox on board). . . The Pawnee, Pocahontas, and Harriet Lane will be ordered to join you. . . “
https://www.americancivilwar.com/authors/Joseph_Ryan/Articles/Lincoln-Instigated-War/The-Buried-Fact-Record.html
IOW, supplies were sent and force would be used if needed to defend the ships supplying the fort. Standard military procedure. I’ve been part of similar reinforcement plans in Afghanistan.
Saying Lincoln was trying to attack Charleston is silly. Utter fantasy! It would have required, at a minimum, many ships of war plus tens of thousands of troops. It was a RESUPPLY mission, capable only of briefly defending itself. It carried supplies for the fort.
“Lincoln could not have made it any more clear that a military attack was about to hit Beauregard’s forces in Charleston.”
You might as well claim Martians started the war! Or that slavery had nothing to do with the war...
;>(
The fort needed supplies. The Confederates did not want it re-supplied. Lincoln sent supplies. In January of 1860, it was believed that all the necessary supplies for that fort could be carried by the "Star of the West". (which incidentally was also covertly carrying Union riflemen to reinforce the fort.)
So you are telling me that in April of 1861, the Fort needed the Warship Powhatan, the Warship Pocahontas, The Warship Pawnee, The Armed cutter Harriet Lane, A Ocean transport carrying several hundred riflemen and munitions called the "Baltic", a possibly armed Tug "Yankee", and another possibly armed Tug "Thomas Freeborn", and one possibly unarmed tug "Uncle Ben", to deliver the same "supplies" that were previously manageable by the single ship "Star of the West"?
Here is a photo of one of your "supply ships."
Lot's of room on that "supply ship" for cargo! Here's another photograph.
There was NO MILITARY ATTACK PLANNED! At some point, sanity and facts must prevail!
And yes there f***ing *WAS* a military attack planned! The Ship's orders *SAY* SO.
Should the authorities at Charleston, however, refuse to permit or attempt to prevent the vessel or vessels having supplies on board from entering the harbor, or from peaceably proceeding to Fort Sumter, you will protect the transports or boats of the expedition in the object of their mission-disposing of your force in such manner as to open the way for their ingress and afford, so far as practicable, security to the men and boats, and repelling by force, if necessary, all obstructions towards provisioning the fort and re-enforcing it; for in case of resistance to the peaceable primary object of the expedition a re-enforcement of the garrison will also be attempted. These purposes will be under the supervision of the War Department, which has charge of the expedition. The expedition has been intrusted to Captain G. V. Fox, with whom you will put yourself in communication, and co-operate with him to accomplish and carry into effect its object.
And:
SIR: This letter will be landed to you by Captain G. V. Fox, ex-officer of the Navy, and a gentleman of high standing, as well as possessed of extraordinary nautical ability. He is charged by high authority here with the command of an expedition, under cover of certain ships of war, whose object is to re-enforce Fort Sumter.To embark with Captain Fox you will cause a detachment of recruits, say about two hundred, to be immediately organized at Fort Columbus, with a competent number of officers, arms, ammunition, and subsistence. A large surplus of the latter-indeed, as great as the vessels of the expedition can take-with other necessaries, will be needed for the augmented garrison of Fort Sumter.
The subsistence and other supplies should be assorted like those which were provided by you and Captain Ward of the Navy for a former expedition. Consult Captain Fox and Major Eaton on the subject, and give all necessary orders in my name to fit out the expedition, except that the hiring of vessels will be left to others.
Some fuel must be shipped. Oil, artillery implements, fuses, cordage, slow-march, mechanical levers, and gins, &c., should also be put on board.
What were those ships going to do with those cannons? Hmmmm?