April 5
Seward, the secretary of state, and Welles, secretary of the Navy, realized every had deliberate a secret mission spearheaded by the Powhatan utilizing totally different captains going to totally different locations.
Shortly earlier than midnight, they took their unsettled argument to Lincoln, who was working late. Initially, Lincoln sided with Seward’s mission to Florida, but after Welles produced copies of his orders, Lincoln agreed the Powhatan ought to go to Charleston. Welles didn’t telegram New York shipyard’s Foote with affirmation till the subsequent morning.
April 6
Foote was torn between his two superiors. He selected to prioritize the orders he had acquired straight from Lincoln, dispatching a big naval expedition together with a number of service provider ships, warships carrying 300 to 500 males and arms, and tugboats to land reinforcements at Fort Sumter (sources differ on precise numbers). Welles’ telegram didn’t attain him till after the expedition left heading South.
Lincoln despatched a message to Anderson in his personal handwriting, saying to “… count on an try shall be made to produce Fort Sumter with provisions solely; and that, if such an try be not resisted, no effort to throw in males, arms, or ammunition shall be made with out additional discover.” A replica additionally went to Pickens.
Rosen calls the notice’s wording “a masterpiece of ambiguity.” To Northern readers, the message implied the federal government was on a humanitarian mission taking meals and medication to hungry males. To Davis and Pickens, nevertheless, the message not solely stated provisions can be despatched to Fort Sumter, which Pickens had forbade, it additionally indicated drive can be used if they didn’t enable it. Absolutely that was why warships have been included within the expedition.
Or was it?
Nobody, not even Seward, knew Lincoln had secretly given orders to have the warships go by Charleston and proceed to Florida.
Davis and Pickens now had two choices: Both seize Fort Sumter earlier than these ships arrived or, they incorrectly assumed, enable armed warships to enter Charleston Harbor.
