David, Thanks, I did not know those details either. But I still do not see how flying a Revenue Flag would have gotten the "Star of the West" past an alert sentry and the picket boat and into the harbor any easier? I don't understand that thinking.

To me the "Star of the West" incident was what prompted the six other states to seceed. And set this country on the path of Civil War more so than the actual firing on Fort Sumter itself. It demonstrated that the United States Government was intent on following the same pattern of use of force to blockade Charleston Harbor as President Jackson did in the 1832 Nullification Crisis. It was this demonstration of intent that convienced the southern states that the United States had no desire to settle the problem by diplomatic means.

Also I believe that the "Star of the West" was intended to be a scraficial lamb of sorts intended to intice the southern garrison to fire upon it in order to gain the excuse to deal with force with the South Carolina secession by itself. However, unlike in 1832, the quick secession of six additional states changed the conditions and upset that plan. Lincoln repeated this plan and made it larger again in April to again start a war and make it look like the south started it.