The Confederacy looked geographically formidable but lacked the internal transport and industrial resilience needed to exploit its size. Rivers and limited rail links carried much of its commerce toward the sea. The Confederacy also weakened its own rail maintenance by calling skilled workers into the army. Even officers educated as engineers at West Point or experienced as railroad executives failed to turn that expertise into a coherent Confederate transport system. Atlanta and Richmond were among the few manufacturing centres, with some manufacturing also at New Orleans. Controlling sea access and waterborne routes therefore cut across the Confederacy's ability to connect its regions, making the Civil War a major maritime conflict as well as a land war.
Notable Point · 36:39-43:52
The Anaconda Plan's river and sea routes
Scott's strategy becomes more plausible once the Confederacy's dependence on river routes, a few rail connections, and seaborne trade is understood.