If Ft. Sumter had been starved out, would there have been a war?

OldSarge79

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After posting on another thread, the question comes to me, if the Confederates had held off their bombardment for a few more days, Maj. Anderson had given up his post due to starvation and was peacefully evacuated, would there have been a war? If so, how would it have started?
Hopefully, since this is merely speculation, there will be no argument.
 
I find it unlikely that The population in the north would be willing to go to war, without a large scale attack like what happened.
And this make it way less likely that Virginia would have joined the CSA... the result is a CSA that is economically much much weaker...

And that, in my opinion, is why the CSA congress wanted the bombardment.
 
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After posting on another thread, the question comes to me, if the Confederates had held off their bombardment for a few more days, Maj. Anderson had given up his post due to starvation and was peacefully evacuated, would there have been a war? If so, how would it have started?
Hopefully, since this is merely speculation, there will be no argument.
Lincoln's War Flotilla with soldiers for reinforcement along with other things, was knocking on South Carolina's door was the reason for the bombardment.
 
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Well, you see, I cut in without looking at the OP just following a statement that was not a what if. If you had checked theirs as you did mine I might have apologized to the thread. But since you didn’t I won’t.

That's strange since your response was to the OP, post #1 on this thread.
 
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I find it unlikely that The population in the north would be willing to go to war, without a large scale attack like what happened.
And this make it way less likely that Virginia would have joined the CSA... the result is a CSA that is economically much much weaker...

And that, in my opinion, is why the CSA congress wanted the bombardment.
Interesting thought.
 
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Instead of maybes and what its we have to look at facts. The #1 fact that outweighs all the others is that Lincolns main goal was preservation of the Union. That said, unless the csa was going to voluntarily surrender, or Lincoln negotiate.......and we know those two things were not going to happen, you are left with war at some point, at some place.
 
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I'm of the opinion, the firing of Ft Sumter was the biggest mistake the CSA made. Realizing it was critical to getting the upper South, the negative effect was, labeling the CSA as the aggressor. I believe had Jeff & Co waited Lincoln out, refused to fire the first shot, & remained the "victim", public opinion would've been more on their side. A strong public opinion could've forced Lincoln into compromise.
 
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I'm of the opinion, the firing of Ft Sumter was the biggest mistake the CSA made. Realizing it was critical to getting the upper South, the negative effect was, labeling the CSA as the aggressor. I believe had Jeff & Co waited Lincoln out, refused to fire the first shot, & remained the "victim", public opinion would've been more on their side. A strong public opinion could've forced Lincoln into compromise.

I doubt Lincoln would have been forced into any compromise that would have recognized Confederate independence. Delaying action, and forcing Lincoln's regime to fire the first shot however would have likely cost him in Northern support for his planned war and would have likely driven one or more of the border states into the Confederacy.
 
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