What was President Abraham Lincoln's first response to the situation at Fort Sumter?

Answer 1

Lincoln said he would send food but no arms to the fort.

He could not actually declare war, because that would have meant recognising the Confederacy as a sovereign nation.

But he did the next best thing - appealed for volunteer troops. He called for 75,000 volunteers to fight the insurrection. Four states of the Upper South joined the Confederacy. The two sides were lined-up. The war was on.

Answer 2

As 1861 unfolded, the entire US was on pins and needles. No one North or South knew what was going to happen. President Lincoln knew that as matters stood, something would have to change. Finally, when Lincoln received the news of the attack on Fort Sumter, he was relieved. Lincoln did not want a war, but the surrender of Fort Sumter was an event he could simply not ignore. Prior to Fort Sumter's surrender, the Union had been a divided nation, the bombardment of the fort was the event that unified the Union. Lincoln with confidence could call for 75,000 to enlist for three months to end the rebellion. No one realized how terrible the war would be. How could anyone know?