By the end of March, 1861, Lincoln had made certain key decisions involving Forts Sumter and Fort Pickens. He had set in motion preparations for a relief mission to Fort Sumter, and placed Gustavus V. Fox in charge. He had also established April 6 as the approximate date for the expedition to get under way, if sent, so as to arrive in time to help Anderson's garrison.
On Monday, April 1, 1861, U.S. President Lincoln hurriedly signed a series of orders to outfit a secret expedition to reinforce Fort Pickens, Florida. The orders were drawn up by a small group that included Meigs, a young and energetic navy lieutenant named David D. Porter, General Scott, and Secretary of State Seward. The expedition "to reenforce and hold Fort Pickens" was to "proceed with the least possible delay . . . ." (This was in deliberate violation of a truce between the United States and the Confederacy executed by President James Buchanan).
Meigs's plan called for a transport vessel to land troops and stores at Fort Pickens, while a ship of war simultaneously steamed into Pensacola Harbor to block Confederate forces. The expedition would be placed under the command of Colonel Harvey Brown. Lincoln's orders gave Porter command of the war steamer U.S.S. Powhatan, then in the New York (Brooklyn) Navy Yard, or any other steamer he chose for entering Pensacola Harbor.
Captain Rufus Ingalls was be ordered to Fort Pickens, Florida along with several units by General Winfield Scott on April 1, 1861. The secret orders to Colonel Harvey Brown were to reinforce Fort Pickens which is on an island across from Pensacola, Florida. The order was approved by Abraham Lincoln.
At 3:30 a.m., April 2, 1861, the U.S.S. Atlantic, the command ship for the Pickens expedition, weighed anchor and steamed away with Colonel Harvey Brown and Captain M. C. Meigs aboard.
Also, the morning of April 2, 1861, Lieutenant John L. Worden started on his overland route to Pensacola, carrying Lincoln's new orders to Captain Henry A. Adams to reinforce Fort Pickens.
Having arrived in Pensacola the morning of April 11, Lieutenant John L. Worden informed CSA General Bragg of his presence. Bragg permitted him to communicate with Captain Henry A. Adams on board the Sabine, so long as he did not violate the "truce" [negotiated by President James Buchanan and Senator Stephen R. Mallory] that had been in effect. Making no promises, Worden made his way to Captain Adams at about noon on April 12 and presented his orders.
On the evening of April 12, 1861, following Lieutenant Worden's arrival in Pensacola, United States troops were landed at Pickens. Under the cover of darkness, Adams sent Captain Vogdes and his troops, as well as a contingent of marines, to Fort Pickens. Adams reported that "no opposition was made, nor do I believe the movement was known on shore until it was accomplished."
The fort was secured, thereby offsetting the loss of the other naval fortifications at Pensacola Harbor. Fort Pickens and the surrounding island remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War. While public attention focused on the shelling of Fort Sumter and the outbreak of Civil War, Meigs's relief expedition became a footnote in history, a relatively obscure "second" reinforcement of Pickens.
On the afternoon of April 4, 1861, Lincoln called Fox to the White House and told him that he had "decided to let the expedition go." Fox pointed out that it might not be possible now to reach Fort Sumter in time. Lincoln replied that Fox would best fulfill his duty to his country "to make the attempt."
After taking leave of Fox, Lincoln immediately dispatched a reply to Anderson that a relief expedition "will go forward." He urged Anderson to hold out if possible until the arrival of the expedition, which he indicated would be "the 11th or 12th."
Meanwhile, at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Major Anderson received Lincoln's letter of April 4, informing him of the relief expedition and urging him to hold out.
Lincoln's decision to send these expeditions influenced Jefferson Davis to initiate the attack on Sumter. (The Confederacy had its own intelligence sources).
The U.S.S. Harriet Lane had arrived first, late at night April 11, 1861. A few hours later, at 3 a.m., Friday, April 12, 1861, after three days of stormy weather, Fox and the Union ship “U.S.S. Baltic” arrived at a rendezvous point, about ten miles off Charleston Harbor and at 6 a.m., April 12, 1861, the U.S.S. Pawnee appeared.
Meanwhile, with knowledge of the arriving Union naval forces, a signal mortar shell was fired from Fort Johnson (CSA) over Fort Sumter at 4:30 AM, Friday, April 12, 1861. Confederate firing from surrounding batteries soon followed, starting the battle.
Fox attempted to make his way into Charleston Harbor aboard the U.S.S. Baltic with provisions. But, as he did so, he saw that the fort was already under attack. Turning back, he consulted with the other commanders on the scene. They agreed to wait for the U.S.S. Powhatan until the following morning, and then to attempt another landing, whether it appeared or not.
A Virginia secessionist, Edmund Ruffin, claimed to have fired the "first shot" of the battle and the Civil War for his own reasons. Lincoln picked up on that statement to try to claim that Confederacy forces were the aggressors and fired the first shots1, when in reality it was the Union occupation of a Fort within the territory of the Confederacy that was being challenged by the Confederacy and it was the attempts by the Union to invade the South with new re-inforcements which began the engagement.
At about 7 a.m., some two and a half hours after the general bombardment of the fort had commenced, Anderson gave the order for Sumter's guns to begin their reply. The first shot was fired by his second-in-command, Captain Abner Doubleday.
At about 1 p.m., Sumter's flagstaff fell, and though another was soon raised, the initial disappearance of the flag led the Confederate side to communicate with Anderson about his condition. A series of negotiations followed, and by 8 p.m., the terms of Anderson's evacuation were concluded.
At about 2 p.m., April 13, 1861, just as these Union disengagement procedures were commencing, the U.S.S. Pocahontas arrived. Its commander, as the senior naval officer on the scene, entered into the discussions to arrange transportation for the garrison. At noon, April 14, 1861, the first gun salute began and the American flag was slowly lowered in a ceremony at Fort Sumter.
At 4 p.m., April 14, 1861, the fort was formally transferred to Confederate possession. With the Sumter flag under his arm, Anderson accompanied his garrison out of the fort and boarded a steamer, which would take them to the U.S.S. Baltic for their journey to New York. "I . . . marched out of the fort Sunday afternoon, the 14th instant, with colors flying and drums beating, bringing away company and private property, and saluting my flag with fifty guns," Anderson recounted.
In Washington, where news of Fort Sumter's surrender had arrived, Lincoln met with his cabinet to approve a call for 75,000 militia and to convene a special session of Congress on July 4, 1861.
But, Lincoln did not wait for the convening of Congress nor did it matter to him whether he violated previous administration’s treaties as with Florida, nor whether he violated the Constitution itself. Instead, Lincoln, by himself, issued a Declaration of War against the Confederate States of America.
Whereas the laws of the United States have been for some time past, and now are opposed, and the execution thereof obstructed, in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, by combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, or by the powers vested in the Marshals by law,
Now therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution, and the laws, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby do call forth, the militia of the several States of the Union, to the aggregate number of seventy-five thousand, in order to suppress said combinations, and to cause the laws to be duly executed. The details, for this object, will be immediately communicated to the State authorities through the War Department.
After analyzing the speaking characteristics of Abraham Lincoln in regards to his ability to twist and fabricate according to his perceived need, meanings, while on paper appearing to have not so directly stated, and applying this along with the politics espoused, especially in his Inauguration Speech of March 4, 1981, the following red text and italicized additions have been inserted to give the actual meaning and intention of this proclamation.
Whereas the laws of the United States have been for some time past, and now are opposed, and the execution thereof obstructed, by the Secession of the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, by combinations called the Confederate States of America which are too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of Federal judicial proceedings, or by the powers vested in the Federal Marshals by law,
Now therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in virtue of the power I am assuming by my own invention of the meanings intended in me which I believe are vested by the Constitution, and the tax laws,3 have thought fit to call forth, and hereby do call forth, the militia of the several States of the Union, to the aggregate number of seventy-five thousand, in order to invade the territory of said combination with an overwhelming military force in order to suppress said combinations, by force, and to cause the laws of the Union as I see them to be duly executed. The details, for this object of armed military aggression and conquest against that combination, the Confederate States of America, will be ordered immediately communicated to the State authorities through the War Department4
Clearly, with the help of the interpretation inserted above we see the real intent of this Lincoln Declaration of War.
Analyzed and summarized by Vance J. Beaudreau
April 2, 2001