Major Robert Anderson, commander of the Union's Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, sent a request for provisions to Washington, and Lincoln's order to meet that request was seen by the secessionists as an act of war.
mˈeɪdʒɚ ɹˈɑːbɚt ˈændɚsən, kəmˈændɚɹ ʌvðə jˈuːniənz fˈɔːɹt sˈʌmtɚɹ ɪn tʃˈɑːɹlstən, sˈaʊθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnə, sˈɛnt ɐ ɹᵻkwˈɛst fɔːɹ pɹəvˈɪʒənz tə wˈɑːʃɪŋtən, ænd lˈɪŋkənz ˈɔːɹdɚ tə mˈiːt ðæt ɹᵻkwˈɛst wʌz sˈiːn baɪ ðə sɛsˈɛʃənˌɪsts æz ɐn ˈækt ʌv wˈɔːɹ.