Logistics and the Anaconda Plan

[whitworth]

Any serious student of the Civil War has heard of General Winfield Scott and his Anaconda Plan, as it was called by the press.

But not enough detail was ever given, in my opinion, on why the plan eventually worked.

One reason, for success in the West, was the availability to the U.S., of steamboats, construction facilities to build steam engines, a good supply of iron for sheathing the boats, and boatbuilding facilities on the Ohio River and at St. Louis.

Because of its industrial shortcomings, the Confederacy could never equal the United States' ability to bring more naval forces to the point of battle on the navigable streams in the west.

Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Island # 10, Nashville, Memphis, were all captured by the Union army because of superior steamboat supply. Steamboats could supply troops and necessary supplies, near the point of attack. New Orleans would get captured because of superior Union naval strength. Eventually Vicksburg would fall because Union steamboats on the Mississippi could move troops and supplies to points near Vicksburg, leading to its eventual surrender.

The British government, knew naval power, and recognized early in the Civil War, that the Confederacy would have difficulty protecting Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and western Virginia, because all those areas were near navigable rivers, controllable by a fresh water navy. The Confederacy, never became a naval power.

Listed below is one obscure memoranda. It was not about a famous battle, but about what would enable the U.S. to reconquer the Mississippi valley.
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Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, transportation steamers, gun-boats, dis.
tances, &.
[Memoranda for the use of Lieutenant-General Scott.]

JUNE 3, 1861.
After several conversations with intelligent and reliable persons on
the subjects embraced in the following memoranda, I have the honor
to snbmit the same as containing information of importance:

[Transporting Troops and Supplies]

"Passenger steamers.—Most of them now unemployed; 250 steamers on
the Ohio, rather more than less, that may carry an average of 300 men—
75,000 men; 150 steamers at Saint Louis, and thereabouts, that may
carry as many each, 45,000 men—120,000 men."

[Transporting Supplies to the Army]

"Freight barges on the Ohio, 100 in number, that will carry 2,500 bar-
rels each on the average—250,000 barrels. At and about Saint Louis
as many besides.

[Fuel for the Steamboats]

Coal barges on the Ohio, 200 in number, will carry an average load
of coal of 10,000 bushels—2,000,000 bushels. At and about Saint Louis
there are as inaiiy others.
One barge will carry coal enough for the largest steamer all the way
to New Orleans and more than enough (two barges to three large
steamers).
A steam-tug (of which there are many) would take down in tow
barges enough to supply a great many steamers.
Each passenger steamer would herself carry a large quantity of coal
in addition to troops, their baggage, and provisions.

[Logistic Supply Bases]

It is an important question whether the “June rise” may not advan-
tageously be availed of to send a good supply of coal to Cairo. The
nearest considerable coal supply above Cairo is at Caseyville, about 120
miles up the Ohio.

[New Boat Building]

Building-yards for boats.—The principal boat-building places on the
Ohio River are: (1) Pittsburg, Pa.; (2) Wheeling, Va.; (3) Cincin-
nati, Ohio; (4) Madison, Ind.; (5) New Albany, Ind.; (6) Mound
City, Ill.

[Steam Engine Building]
Steam-engine buiiding.—At the first five places named above all kinds
of engines are supplied and all other fittings. Steam gun-boats may
be perfectly fitted to receive armament, provisions, and men at each of
those places.

[New Gun-Boat Designs]

Gun.boats.—There is attached to this paper a draught made by John
Lenthall, esq., Chief of the Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and
Repairs of the Navy Department, of a gun-boat deemed to be well
adapted to operations on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Such a boat,
besides crew, provisions, ammunition, &c., will carry about four 8-inch
guns or other armament of about equal weight. The boat is planned
to draw not over five feet when full and to have the requisite speed.


[Amphibious Landing sites from Cincinati to New Orleans]

I hand in with this memorandum a table, giving all the landing places
for steamers between Cincinnati and Cairo and also between Cairo and
New Orleans, derived from Capt. J. S. Neal, of Madison, Ind., who has
been many years navigating those waters in command of a steamer.

...landings are not restricted
to the points mentioned in the list, but are easy and good everywhere.

JOS. G. TOTTEN,
Brevet Brigadier- General and Colonel of Engineers