Читать книгу American Civil War For Dummies - Keith D. Dickson - Страница 136

The third theater was the Trans-Mississippi Theater, which covered the territory west of the Mississippi all the way to New Mexico. Although not an area where there would be much fighting, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri were nonetheless critical for the Confederate war effort. Food grown in these areas, as well as war supplies from Mexico, moved by rail from these states to the east. The Trans-Mississippi Theater shared a border with Mexico, a prime trading partner for the Confederacy. Mexico also offered blockade-free access to European suppliers. Military supplies brought in through Mexico had to travel through this theater. Some of the most famous fighting units in the Civil War came from the states of the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Confederate control of the Mississippi River would ensure that this theater would continue to sustain the Confederacy with supplies and manpower. If control of the Mississippi fell to Union forces, however, this important lifeline would be severely limited.