GDG- Re: Gettysburg Digest, Vol 32, Issue 63

[Biggsk at aol.com]

Margaret,

>>>>One of the critical experiences of Lincoln's life was  the flatboat 
voyage he took down the Mississippi as a young man.  He knew  from personal 
experience how critical the Mississippi was to the economy of  the United States.>>>>
 
British Gen. Packenham, in late 1814 while planning the New Orleans  campaign 
stated, "whoever controls the Mississippi River, controls North  America."
 
If he felt that to be the case in 1814-1815, then think about how much more  
valuable that river was (and still is) in 1861.  I have found figures that  
show that over 1000 steamboats plied the Ohio-Mississippi Rivers trade in 1860  
alone - and this does not count the other large rivers than were steamboat  
navigable (Arkansas, Missouri, Red, etc.).  Sit on the bluffs at Memphis  
sometime and see how much barge traffic there still is on these rivers.
 
Greg Biggs