Instead, Lincoln chose to resupply Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and other forts when required. No arms, munitions, or troops would be sent to the garrisons. Rather, supply ships with food, fodder, and other necessities of life were sent south.
Knowing that Anderson and his men were running out of supplies, Lincoln announced his intention to send three unarmed ships to relieve Fort Sumter. Having already declared that any attempt to resupply the fort would be seen as an act of aggression, South Carolina militia forces soon scrambled to respond.
