[Non-Sequitur]

Knock yourself out. What you showed was the intention of Lincoln to resupply and reinforce the garrison at Sumter. I've never denied his intention to do so. But Davis chose to respond to those actions by starting the war. Why Davis chose such an insane course of action, against the advice of his own secretary of state, is open to debate. I pointed out that he needed a war to bring the other slave-holding states into the confederacy. He needed a war to silence the internal criticism that was growing louder in the south. He had no mandate, no idea of his popular support. He was appointed, not elected, and had no real idea of how popular his cause of war was. So part of his actions were no doubt to appease his critics. But for the most part he just wanted the other slave states to join. Why did Lincoln want to retain Sumter? Partly because he said he would do so on several occasions, including his inaugural address. But in large part because that by giving into southern demands not to reinforce Sumter or, worse, ceding Sumter to the Davis regime, he would be giving them de facto recognition as a sovereign nation. And that is something he would never do. So in the end you have two different men with two different agendas that met at Charleston harbor. Lincoln could have achieved his agenda peacefully, but Davis couldn't achieve his without a war. And so the war came.

[lentulusgracchus]

Why did Lincoln want to retain Sumter? Partly because he said he would do so on several occasions, including his inaugural address. But in large part because that by giving into southern demands not to reinforce Sumter or, worse, ceding Sumter to the Davis regime, he would be giving them de facto recognition as a sovereign nation. And that is something he would never do.

And because he wanted a casus belli that would exonerate him, in his own and the public's eyes, of what he was about to do: solve the slavery issue his way, by bloodshed.