georgew
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2010
- Location
- southern california
Even a cursory look at the "trade" indicates that it served two main purposes: generation of funding in currencies holding their value better than Confederate notes or greenbacks; acquisition of munitions and ordnance, medicines and dry goods for wealthier parts of the civilian population. A very useful discussion of where most of the "trade" was transacted is found in a book called "Trading with the Enemy". Significant amounts of cotton were traded across the lines and this trade was critical in terms of food stuffs like hams. Although the south was largely agricultural, it lacked the ability to transport much of the product. As more and more of the workforce, both white and colored, disappeared into the Army or Union supervision, production rates in many goods declined. I recommend the book, especially the first chapter with a very useful description of just how the cotton trade worked. In particular it covers the basis of why some of the more affluent classes thought that "King Cotton" would swing Europeans into siding with the south. Although the blockade was successfully run throughout the war, there were not enough ships, investors or Confederate funds to cover more than just basic military needs. The issue of a preference for stable foreign currencies generated by the trade is also critical. British pounds and British banks appear to have been the most popular. One interesting
point is that the trade with Texas also included imported dried vegetables, coming through Matamoros. These were apparently destined to be used as storable military rations. Its difficult to put a dollar number on the cross-the-lines shipments. Many were flat out "trades", goods for goods. The level of corruption in the Union military and civil service was staggering. This leads to a question of what weakened southern military resistance the most? It doesn't appear to have been the blockade - but Grant's refusal to carry on mass prisoner exchanges was a heavy blow. The Confederate Navy may have been more successful in getting their people traded.
point is that the trade with Texas also included imported dried vegetables, coming through Matamoros. These were apparently destined to be used as storable military rations. Its difficult to put a dollar number on the cross-the-lines shipments. Many were flat out "trades", goods for goods. The level of corruption in the Union military and civil service was staggering. This leads to a question of what weakened southern military resistance the most? It doesn't appear to have been the blockade - but Grant's refusal to carry on mass prisoner exchanges was a heavy blow. The Confederate Navy may have been more successful in getting their people traded.