How the Civil War Began, an April 1861 Timeline – April 5

Gideon Welles, serving as Lincoln’s Secretary of the Navy, issued crucial orders to send reinforcements to Fort Sumter during a critical period of the Civil War. He directed that two warships, the USS Powhatan and USS Pawnee, along with the steamer USS Pocahontas and the USS Revenue Cutter Harriet Lane, be dispatched to provision Fort Sumter. Additionally, the steamer Baltic was tasked with transporting approximately 200 soldiers from the 2nd U.S. Artillery. To facilitate the landing of these reinforcements, three tugboats were also ordered to assist. Captain Samuel Mercer was appointed to lead this significant naval expedition.

However, unbeknownst to many, there were secretive operations occurring behind the scenes that would influence the unfolding events…