April 1861

[RebelWeber]

Put yourself in Lincoln's shoes. It's April 10th 1861. You know the powder keg that is Charleston S.C. Do you evacuate Sumpter or leave the bait out there ?

 

[BuckPvt]

Lincoln was never going to be able to prevent South Carolina's secession.

 

[scooter748driver]

South Carolina had already seceded in December 1860. I think Lincoln knew that the union was only going to be held together by force. Had he conceded and evacuated Sumter, where else would have have drawn the line to stand firm? I don't think he wanted to be seen as the aggressor and SC was determined to have Sumter, by negotiations or by force. Knowing that, I think Lincoln sat and waited for the inevitable.

 

[RebelWeber]

South Carolina had already seceded in December 1860. I think Lincoln knew that the union was only going to be held together by force. Had he conceded and evacuated Sumter, where else would have have drawn the line to stand firm? I don't think he wanted to be seen as the aggressor and SC was determined to have Sumter, by negotiations or by force. Knowing that, I think Lincoln sat and waited for the inevitable.

As Robert Lee said "A Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets has no charm for me"

 

[Scott1967]

As Robert Lee said "A Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets has no charm for me"

So he joined another Union that was maintained by swords and bayonets.

 

[VeronicaLake12]

Evacuate

 

[RebelWeber]

So he joined another Union that was maintained by swords and bayonets.

"If the Confederacy falls there should be written on its tombstone, "Died of a theory."

 

[jackt62]

Lincoln was not going to abandon Sumpter. He had already made that clear in his inaugural address in which he swore his oath to "hold and possess" all federal facilities. The only question was tactical. Lincoln was shrewd enough to understand that in order to rally the northern public and not be seen as an aggressor, he needed the south to fire the first shot. This he was able to do by deftly maneuvering the hot heads in South Carolina into action by proclaiming his understandable desire to simply re-supply the garrison. That seemingly passive act was enough to inflame the fire-eaters and by extension, the Davis government into demanding the fort's immediate surrender notwithstanding the fact that the maritime effort to reach Sumpter was bound to fail, and the garrison could only sustain itself for a limited time period before it would be forced to give up.

 

[RebelWeber]

Lincoln was not going to abandon Sumpter. He had already made that clear in his inaugural address in which he swore his oath to "hold and possess" all federal facilities. The only question was tactical. Lincoln was shrewd enough to understand that in order to rally the northern public and not be seen as an aggressor, he needed the south to fire the first shot. This he was able to do by deftly maneuvering the hot heads in South Carolina into action by proclaiming his understandable desire to simply re-supply the garrison. That seemingly passive act was enough to inflame the fire-eaters and by extension, the Davis government into demanding the fort's immediate surrender notwithstanding the fact that the maritime effort to reach Sumpter was bound to fail, and the garrison could only sustain itself for a limited time period before it would be forced to give up.

"Mr. President, at this time it is suicide, murder, and will lose us every friend in the North. You will wantonly strike a hornet's nest which extends from mountain to ocean, and legions now quiet will swarm out and sting us to death. It is unnecessary; it puts us in the wrong; it is fatal" R. Toombs

... I will expand on this a little later

 

[Stryker65]

Send the available naval vessels to lurk outside the harbor; if they're fired on, fire back. Naval support could play a large role.

 

[Spirt of 1861 Copperhead]

Well, I really would not run under Lincoln's platform. I would've surrendered the forts as a gesture of Goodwill. However, if they had a Democrat, president Civil War might not have happened

 

[RebelWeber]

Send the available naval vessels to lurk outside the harbor; if they're fired on, fire back. Naval support could play a large role.

Star of the West?

 

[Stryker65]

Star of the West?

That was a civilian transport -- I'd send the Wabash, Powhatan, and maybe a few ships from the Gosport Yard at Norfolk.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

Put yourself in Lincoln's shoes. It's April 10th 1861. You know the powder keg that is Charleston S.C. Do you evacuate Sumpter or leave the bait out there ?

Leave the bait out there, putting the onus on the Rebels to be the aggressors, putting your side on the higher moral ground.

 

[RebelWeber]

That was a civilian transport -- I'd send the Wabash, Powhatan, and maybe a few ships from the Gosport Yard at Norfolk.

I have to check my resources and get back to you but I'm almost positive that had a military escort

Stand by...

No sooner had the Star of the West departed than the president received a message from Major Robert Anderson indicating that he could hold out at Fort Sumter for the foreseeable future. Orders were promptly dispatched to detain the Star of the West, but it had already left. Orders were sent to the Brooklyn to intercept the vessel at Charleston, or to render assistance if needed, but the Star of the West arrived first.

Source ... https://www2.tulane.edu/~sumter/StarOfTheWest.html

 

[Potomac Pride]

Lincoln knew what would happen if he tried to resupply Ft. Sumter in April 1861. Several months earlier, the Star of the West had been fired upon when it tried to reach Ft. Sumter when Buchanan was President. South Carolina had repeatedly warned the Union not to send aid to the fort.