[Sherman Logan]

They fired on more than one ship before that, yet no cause for war.

If I understand the conventions correctly, a ship could be fired upon without it automatically being considered an act of war. The attack and conquest of a military post flying the US flag was viewed entirely differently than ineffectively shooting at a ship.

[smug]

The one thing I have never understood and have not found an explanation for, is the firing on the (forgot the name) a merchant ship carrying ice? I am sure several ice houses were waiting on that ice.