Something else to remember in regards to the people of Charleston being fearful of Major Anderson and his garrison is that none of these communications were "secure". That no matter how they were being transmitted to Washington D.C. they were being read by the Confederates. I am sure that some of these messages were done for the benefits of the Confederates to keep them offbalance such mining the Wharf and having the Confederate officials enter Fort Sumter through a gunport embrasure.

As with the discussion about the intent of the 10 inch Columbiads dug into the ground to be used as mortars, this had to be a form of psychological warfare intent on scaring the South Carolina governmental officials into maybe givining up thier hopes of claiming Fort Sumter and with that their cause of secession and independence. But I think the critical error on the part of the Lincoln Adminstration and Major Anderson and Captain Doubleday was the resolve that the southern people had and that these actions simply stiffened their will and resoluteness.