nded by Welles for the Sumter expedition. One of those unread
despatches signed by Lincoln, assigned it to the Pickens expedition.
When the sailing orders from Welles were received, the commander of the
Sumter fleet claimed the Powhatan. The Pickens commander refused to
give it up. The latter telegraphed Seward that his expedition was "being
retarded and embarrassed" by "conflicting" orders from Welles. The
result was a stormy conference between Seward and Welles which was
adjourned to the White House and became a conference with Lincoln. And
then the whole story came out. Lincoln played the scapegoat, "took the
whole blame upon himself, said it was carelessness, heedlessness on his
part; he ought to have been more careful and attentive." But he insisted
on immediate correction of his error, on the restoration of the Powhatan
to the Sumter fleet. Seward struggled hard for his plan. Lincoln was
inflexible. As Seward had directed the preparation of the Pickens
expedition, Lincoln required him to telegraph to Brooklyn the change in
orders. Seward, beaten by his enemy Welles, was deeply chagrined. In
his agitation he forgot to be formal, forgot that the previous order
had gone out in the President's name, and wired curtly, "Give up the
Powhatan. Seward."

This despatch was received just as the Pickens expedition was sailing.
The commander of the Powhatan had now before him, three orders.
Naturally, he held that the one signed by the President took precedence
over the others. He went on his way, with his great warship, to Florida.
The Sumter expedition sailed without any powerful ship of war. In this
strange fashion, chance executed Seward's design.

Lincoln had previously informed the Governor of South Carolina that due
notice would be given, should he decide to relieve Sumter. Word was now
sent that "an attempt will be made to supply Fort Sumter with provisions
only; and that if such attempt be not resisted, no effort to throw in
men, arms or ammunition will be made without further notice, or in case
of an attack upon the fort."(25) Though the fleet was not intended to
offer battle, it was supposed to be strong enough to force its way into
the harbor, should the relief of Sumter be opposed. But the power to do
so was wholly conditioned on the presence in its midst of the Powhatan.
And the Powhatan was far out to sea on its way to Florida.

And now it was the turn of the Confederate government to confront a
crisis. It, no