President Abraham Lincoln met with Republican governors who had been outspoken regarding the issue of Fort Sumter. No notes from that meeting remain, and historian Robert Rosen opines that we will never know for sure what transpired that day – though one might conjecture that Lincoln warned them to prepare for war.
After meeting with the governors, Lincoln met with naval Capt. Gustavus V. Fox. Though details of the secretive meeting are unknown, afterward Lincoln announced that he would send an expedition to relieve Maj. Anderson at Fort Sumter in two days’ time. He also said he would notify S.C. Gov. Francis Pickens of its arrival ahead of time. Members of the Cabinet objected to the governor’s notification, but Lincoln was adamant. Though they didn’t know it, it was key to his plan – about which you can learn more by checking in tomorrow.
Sources
Rosen, Robert. A Short History of Charleston, 3rd edition. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, May 2021
