David's posts about Ft. Pickens have inspired me to look beyond Ft. Sumter as the only potential "start" of the War. Therefore, I am re-posting something I wrote the other day on another thread. Lincoln wanted to send 6,000 troops to the Texas coast to subjugate the citizens after they had voted democratically to withdraw from the Union. The invitation was made to FORMER Gov. Sam Houston who had been removed from office because he refused to take the Oath of Loyalty. I do not fault him, he was a man of principle and a patriot. And that is why he refused to conspire with Lincoln for an act of war might have preceded the firing on Ft. Sumter. Lincoln wanted a war. He needed a war to Centralize the power of the federal government and crush States Rights. He was successful. Here is the post:

Sam Houston to Colonel [C. A.] Waite, March 29, 1861. The former Texas governor has received information that Waite [U.S. army commander in Texas] will probably soon concentrate troops at Indianola "to sustain me in the exercise of my official functions." Declines the assistance and asks him to remove all troops from the state. F. W. Lander to Colonel [C. A.] Waite, March 29, 1861. Writes that he has come to Texas as a confidential messenger of the Lincoln administration to the governor. His mission has failed, as Houston refuses assistance from the U.S. army. Strongly suggests that Waite do nothing to cause the secessionists in Texas "to imagine that the Government proposes to coerce them".