And they wonder why the Confederates thought Lincoln was a liar when he said he was just shipping supplies.
There is no possible way that you can keep secret the movement of troops onto a ship in any of the Northern ports.
I have come to the conclusion that Lincoln, no fool he, absolutely counted on the Confederates knowing that he was shipping men and guns. He wanted that move to provoke them, all the while the Northern Public wouldn't have been aware of it, and would see the entire action as a deliberate attack from the South.
The "secrecy" was only for the Northern people who would not be paying attention to Union ship or troop movements, and most assuredly was not for Confederate spies or sympathizers who would have been intently watching all the Union military assets for just such a move.
I think it makes for a great plot line for a movie.
You know his people rented out civilian ships to carry the troops. The people at the Naval yard painted out the names on these ships, and loaded English coal so that the different smoke would make it appear that these ships were not warships.
His men had to pay for these ship rentals at very high rates.
Has anyone asked where the money came from since in several posts earlier it was reported that the Treasury was depleted and departmental expenses could not be paid?
But there was no secrecy to it, since Lincoln sent directly to South Carolina Governor Pickens notification of his actions and intentions, including the fact that his resupply mission was ordered not to land reinforcements so long as it was not opposed militarily.
But Pickens had already demanded Sumter's surrender numerous times since December 1860, and now again demanded of Jefferson Davis that he order the assault.
Which Davis immediately did.