The author, a newspaperman, makes it clear that the Harriet Lane did arrive during daylight on the 11th, and according to him, there were two other warships alongside.
He also makes it clear that local observers had become aware of the gathering warships. This is also confirmed in the Chestnut memoirs as well as in Confederate communications documented in the OR.
Along with this, is documented the firing of the Harriet Lane on a well known civilian steamer sometime that afternoon or evening.
He makes the claim that they were the first ship to fire a shot in the vicinity of Charleston Harbor.
With that the blockade of the harbor began, and the defenses of the harbor were activated by Jefferson Davis.
Thank you for your excellent documentation of the actions of the Union naval forces that forced the harbor defense into action.
The 'harbor defenses' were shooting at unarmed merchant ships long before then.