The campaign formed part of the Union effort to tighten the Anaconda Plan. Closing Mobile Bay increased the pressure on Confederate foreign trade and supplies carried by blockade runners. Those runners often used British and French Caribbean islands, placing the blockade within a wider Atlantic political economy. They reportedly received a friendlier reception in French possessions because Napoleon III was more tolerant of slavery than Britain was by this time, although British antislavery policy also served British political interests. Sustained wars depend on infrastructure and logistics, while dramatic raids and marches often receive more attention than their strategic weight merits.
Notable Point · 3:51-8:57
Mobile Bay as blockade and logistics warfare
The battle strengthened the Union blockade by making it harder for Confederate blockade runners to use Mobile Bay.