I found the 'safe' place I'd put those clippings Daddy saved. They were in the Pensacola News-Journal, August, 1984 and written by Dave Goodwin, a PNJ staff writer. In them are some quotes by Bearss from his publication "Historic Structure Report-Fort Pickens 1821-1895. In this article it tells of Lincoln's "signed orders" for Lt. David D. Porter to take over the Powhatten without consultation with or knowledge of the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles. It also says Welles was not amused because he had ordered the Powhatten to reinforce Ft Sumter. The Powhatten and the Pocahontas were the ships with the big guns and troops that were s'posed to be the salvation at Sumter. The Pocahontas was late and never landed.
Then, it says, that on April 6, Seward sent a fast steamer with a message for Porter to give up the Powhatten. He was intercepted at Statin Island. Porter ignored that order and continued on with the original "signed" order from Lincoln. Lincoln may have had second thoughts cause he sent a message overland for the Brooklyn to disembark. At 2 a.m. on April 13, artillery and the US Marines came ashore. Then more followed and we know the rest.

It's the beginning that's been skimmed!!! That's the entire problem. The beginning. Historians and almost anyone else who has any interest always talks about and picks apart battles in the "War". Not a lot on the tidbits in the beginning or before the beginning. The Timeline is a whole lot more important than the actual deeds it seems. Someone knew something before it happened. He weren't "Honest". Nope, not at all.

Pam