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It is true that President Lincoln sent instructions with Captain Chew to be delivered to Gov Pickens with the expedition but I don't think it ever arrived.

You and I both anticipated that the cause of the country would be advanced by making the attempt to provision Fort-Sumpter...

The cause of the country was advanced to some extent, the length to which Jefferson Davis wanted war rather than a peaceful solution were exposed. Had the plan gone ahead and Sumter had been peacefully reprovisioned would Lincoln have been disappointed? I don't think so. Lincoln was in a win/win situation here. He truly believed that he could win the peace and outwait the south, ending the southern rebellion without a war. But if a war was to come, then it had to be the south that started it.

Do you think the promotion was a way to say "sorry, ace, but you were just a pawn"?

Nonsense, it was war and regular officers were a rare commodity. With the rapid expansion of the army, officers who had been captains and lieutenants in 1861 ended the war as generals, and that was true on both sides. As it turns out I can think of at least three officers present at Sumter who were generals during the war - Anderson, Doubleday, and (I kid you not) a lieutenant named Jefferson Davis. But there were hundreds of officers not at Sumter who ended the war as generals, too. Were they paid off as well?

Lincoln had sent a personal messenger, Robert Chew, with the letter and instructions to deliver the letter to Governor Pickens. This was done on April 6. Pickens literally knew about the plan before Major Anderson did.

Forgive me, sir, I was mixed up on the time line. I was thinking of another letter that was sent to Major Anderson telling him that if necessary to surrender Sumter and nothing would be held against him. That one never made it to him.

The cause of the country was advanced to some extent, the length to which Jefferson Davis wanted war rather than a peaceful solution were exposed.

I think you are leaving some factors out. There was a great amount of "footsie" being played with the delegation that was sent to DC, vis a vis the Secretary of State, in regards to Sumter and Pickens. If you put yourself in Davis's shoes, you would have one thing being said to your delegation and a threat (more or less) being delivered to the Governor of South Carolina. Couple that with threats on the floor of the House and Senate, and you have a very volatile situation. President Davis knew what would happen if a war was started and he did not want it. If you would have to make a decision based upon hearing conflicting things from the US govt, US military, and what you knew prior to leaving Washington, what would you have done? I know I would have let the fort be provisioned and take a chance on President Lincoln keeping his word because, quite frankly, any action started by Sumter or any of the ships would have been suicide. They would have been shot to pieces by the shore batteries.

But if a war was to come, then it had to be the south that started it.

Does that mean we agree it was provoked?

But there were hundreds of officers not at Sumter who ended the war as generals, too. Were they paid off as well?

No, but Major Anderson rose to General really fast. I find it peculiar that he was so quickly promoted for what was for all purposes a defeat and President Lincoln feeling the need to explain a few things to him. Maybe not a smoking gun but very peculiar none the less.