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| Thursday April 4, 1861 |
On the afternoon of April 4, 1861, Lincoln called Fox to the White
House and told him that he had "decided to let the expedition go."
Fox pointed out that it might not be possible now to reach Fort
Sumter in time. Lincoln replied that Fox would best fulfill his duty to
his country "to make the attempt."
After taking leave of Fox, Lincoln immediately dispatched a reply to
Anderson that a relief expedition "will go forward." He urged
Anderson to hold out if possible until the arrival of the expedition,
which he indicated would be "the 11th or 12th."
Meanwhile, at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Major Anderson
received Lincoln's letter of April 4, informing him of the relief
expedition and urging him to hold out.
Lincoln's decision to send these expeditions influenced Jefferson
Davis to initiate the attack on Sumter. (The Confederacy had its own
intelligence sources).