Doc o War
Posts: 345
Joined: 8/14/2008
From: Northern California
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Treefrog- actually the issue was money- When the war started the Bank of England and France both basicly refused to loan the US government money to fund the war- Well, they cynically said they would loan at like 34%!- but that was not going to happen, Lincoln said no thanks. - The South was already in The Euro Banks pockets- - and here we are talking 1861 mid at the start of this game.
from the work- 'The Money Changers" from 2006-->>
>>This is when the money changers saw the opportunity to divide and conquer America by plunging it deeper into Civil War. This is confirmed by Otto Von Bismarck when he was Chancellor of Germany (1871 - 1890), who stated,
"The division of the United States into federations of equal force was decided long before the Civil War by the high financial powers of Europe, these bankers were afraid that the United States, if they remained as one block and as one nation, would attain economic and financial independence which would upset their financial domination over the world."
Only months after these first shots in South Carolina, the Central bankers loaned, Napoleon III of France (the Napoleon of the battle of Waterloo's nephew), 210 million francs to seize Mexico and then station troops along the Southern border of the United States, by taking advantage of the American Civil War to return Mexico to colonial rule.
This was in violation of the, "Monroe Doctrine," which was issued by President James Monroe during his seventh annual State of the Union address to Congress, in 1823. This doctrine proclaimed the United States' opinion that European powers should no longer colonize the Americas or interfere with the affairs of sovereign nations located in the Americas, such as the United States, Mexico, and others.
In return, the United States planned to stay neutral in wars between European powers and in wars between a European power and its colonies. However, if these latter type of wars were to occur in the Americas, the U.S. would view such action as hostile toward itself.<<
Without the type of money needed to fund the war- Lincoln had a terrible time at first getting things done. Lincoln saved himself by printing Greenbacks, and getting organized.
The early attempts at Naval transport in the fall of 61 were a disaster, and what was worse is Congress afterwards refused to pay the rental fees for the ships- the ones that werent lost in the great Hurricane that November off the Carolinas--Ship Rental fees that were - admittedly- overcharged.
The private ship owners were simply businessmen after all- the troops just another cargo. Plus they had lost a lot of ships. With no insurance. They wanted their money back. This infuriated fiscal conservatives in congress- and they just refused to pay. The shipping industry tried a bit of a boycott in late 61- but it didnt last the winter. But it effected the war effort- and caused change.
After Jan 62 the idea that the USA had used since the earliest times of hiring private ships "per voyage" was scrapped. Lincoln and Gideon Wells began to have the Government take out long term contracts with established firms to supply the ships needed from one, two and even three year leases. The old scows were lost after the bad fall of 61. Quality ships were offered instead. And government backed war coverage insurance was guaranteed through the war department. Fixed rates were established- and the Navy began to contract specialty ships - to haul ammo and livestock and water and all sorts of things- and they began to build their own.
Lincoln had hit on the idea that If the Euros wouldn't loan him the money- he would make his own. He would just print the money needed- and it worked. It is considered a brilliant idea finacially at the time. People just accepted the Greenback on faith- It's just a piece of paper with numbers printed on it after all- worth what ever number was printed on it- in gold. But all gold and silver belonged to the Federal Central Treasury for the duration of the war as an emergency situation - after the war all the cash money would be traded back for silver or gold-supposedly- only that didnt really happen- gold and silver coins returned after the war- but paper pretty much ruled - the mighty Greenback Dollar.
- It replaced gold and silver basically as our major monetary instrument- Lincoln controled the printing presses through Solomon Chase his Sectry of Treasury. They printed whatever money was needed. With some basic controls passed over to the Banking system- watched over by the Treasury department. There was also an Income tax- called the War Tax on income- from 1862 to 1866- which also raised cash.
Since Lincoln could by the spring of 62 afford to pay the boat yards owners cash with his new Greenbacks- when things had been so tight the year prior, things improved materially for the Union. - and with even Congress suddenly happy because no matter what Lincoln actually ordered- the Government paid their debts with Greenback's-Things just began to look more prosperous.
The South also printed its own paper money- but the Gold and Silver confication on th escale Lincoln enacted never really happened to back it- plus the French and Brits got cold feet by 63 and stopped secretly loaning gold to the South. Up until 63 the Confederate Dollar was only 2 or 3:to 1 greenback- or perhaps 5 to 1 in th ewest- But after Mid 63 it was eventually 100 to 1 and the economic system caved in.
"and the paper money poured across the country- from sea to shinning sea."
and thus by 1862 and later- the Union government was financially solvent and the paying for the war- while still controled by the Congressional watchdogs- Money was never really a problem again. While no one liked loosing government property or supplies- Short of a few minor moments here and there- The Majority of the Union War machine never really had to worry about Rations- or equipment-or shoes or uniforms or arms or cavalry horses- or saddles etc.- all they needed to do was issue them from the seeming endless bounty that poured forth. The South actually often relied on captured Union supplies- and many a later battle would be disrupted as the Confederates stopped their attacks to loot captured Union Camps.
So to round this out- my idea for a House Rule: this Early War Union Naval build agreement: - is: That in the First year> July 61 to July 62 < the Union can only build Warships in New York or New England-::( though on agreement you could allow 1 transport extra build per Zone- ( 2 extra transports) instead of one warship each.) :: In a year that 2 extra every three emonths will produce 8 more transports- but only two less warships. :: All damaged transports can be fixed if so desired- Often damaged transports return to New York or New England. :: After July 62 the Union - now richer with greenbacks flowing- can build what ever they want naval build wise in New York or New England. and the House rule lifts.
< Message edited by Doc o War -- 3/20/2009 9:52:45 PM >
_____________________________
Tell me the story of the common foot soldier, and I will tell you the story of all wars.
... Heroditus.
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