Lt. Col John L. Gardner preceded Major Robert Anderson at Fort Sumter. The reason of his removal is not perfectly clear. According to one history it was upon recommendation of Major Fritz John Porter (who would become a general and kicked out of the service for disobeying General Pope at 2nd Manassas). Major Porter had been sent to Charleston to asses the situation before the election (by the President or Secy.of War?) One reason given was Lt. Col. Gardner was too old, he had fought in the War of 1812; another was he was not doing a good job or enough to protect the forts; but another is he was a secessionist and pro-slaver helping the fireeaters and another was he was pro-union and not liked by the sessionist of Charleston. Who knows?

All I could find of his background was he was from Massachusetts and long time military man.

Somebody in Washington wanted him out of the way. Ulysses Doubleday writes that Lt. Col. Gardner was a secessionist "As they are true, this looks as if they were becoming frightened, and the superseding of Col. Gardner, an avowed secessionist, by Maj. Anderson a loyal Kentuckian, seems still further to confirm this idea." Where did he get this idea? Did Doubleday put these ideas or others into Major Porter's mind?

Why did Lincoln make a personal visit to Mrs. Doubleday on April 10th looking for his letters? (A. Doubleday, REMINISCENCES OF FORTS SUMTER AND MOULTRIE)

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David Upton