Lincoln's Resupply Attempt: The Smoking Gun of Fort Sumter
- Lincoln’s decision to resupply Sumter is the most important immediate cause of the Civil War
- March 4, 1861: Lincoln enters office
- He knew he had to either send supplies and rations to Anderson or pull them out of Charleston
- Lincoln decided on a plan made by Gustavus Vasa Fox
- Reinforcements and supplies would be sent to Anderson by war vessels and tugboats
- Lincoln decided that he would announce this resupply to Confederate President Davis
- Lincoln also informed him that only provisions will be landed unless the ships are attacked
- If attacked, he will land reinforcements by force
- This clever move by Lincoln was done for two reasons:
- One, Sumter really needed provisions, Anderson and his men were starving.
- Two, and more importantly, Lincoln knew Davis would never allow resupply to happen
- Davis would appear weak in allowing the relief.
- Lincoln had to have Davis attack first because it was very important for the border states (those that weren't particularly aligned with the North or South) to see who would fire the first shot of the Civil War
- The one to incite war would be at a great moral disadvantage and would lose sympathies and support from the border states
- Now the pressure was on Davis
- To attack would mean war and moral disadvantage
- To allow resupply would be a disgrace for the new nation