[WhiskeyPapa]

The quote itself states "I will await the first shot and, if you do not batter us to pieces, we will be starved out in a few days" obviously referring to the scenario that would occur if the battle began.

Then it still follows that the so-called seceded states did not have to fire a single shot in order to force the capitulation of the fort. All they had to do was to cut off provisions. My main point, which seems (unlike Fort Sumter) unassailed is that Davis had the fort fired on -because- he wanted an incident that would incite the northern tier of slave states to secession, which is what happened.

Walt

[GOPcapitalist]

The quote itself states "I will await the first shot and, if you do not batter us to pieces, we will be starved out in a few days" obviously referring to the scenario that would occur if the battle began. - me

YOU:

Then it still follows that the so-called seceded states did not have to fire a single shot in order to force the capitulation of the fort. All they had to do was to cut off provisions.

1. Potentially, but it's a lot more complex than that. If provisions were cut off (which they were not), there remained the issue of reenforcements in the form of warships sent by Lincoln to forcefully reach, provision, and reenforce the fort. If they had not fired on Sumter, they would have had to fire on Lincoln's warships Harriet Lane, Pawnee, and Pocahontas or else the fort would have been reprovisioned, meaning shots would have been fired anyway.

2. Do I take it then that you are now conceding the point that Sumter was not on the brink of starvation? My main point, which seems (unlike Fort Sumter) unassailed is that Davis had the fort fired on -because- he wanted an incident that would incite the northern tier of slave states to secession, which is what happened.

Quod gratis asseritur gratis negatur.

In the meantime, I think it pertainent to note that Beauregard repeatedly attempted to negotiate the peaceful surrender of the fort and even offered Anderson the opportunity to set the terms. Lincoln ordered Anderson to hold the fort and sent warships to further that purpose. Therefore to suggest that Davis randomly ordered a shot fired to cause an incident when there could have been another way is historically ignorant, overly simplistic, and intellectually dishonest.