The American Civil War as a river war

The familiar description of the American Civil War as a railway war can obscure the older transport network that shaped the railways themselves. Towns and depots grew where navigable rivers met land routes, and armies depended on those waterways for bulk movement. Armed encounters often involved improvised paddle steamers exchanging a few rounds rather than famous ironclads fighting set-piece battles. On both sides, their decisive contribution was usually logistics, a role that receives less attention because popular history favors spectacular blockade runners and ironclads. The same bias favors the Sopwith Camel over the SE5 and the Spitfire over the Hurricane: famous platforms crowd out workhorses.