Sherman, it seems from this small window of information, was better at fear and vengence to win his war, than winning over the hearts and minds of the common folk. He really didn't think through what he was suggesting. There were no men to run the farms to grow enough produce and corn to trade, and no transportation of any kind to get it to the Big Black River from the central part of the state. It was a land of women and children, the slaves were leaving in torrents, who was to grow all of this cotton and food?

The planters who grew cotton, did so under Government direction, according to who was in control at the time; the Confederate gave directions to large planters to grow cotton with a certain percentage of food as directed by Richmond. It was a type of tax, collected at county warehouses and delivered as best they could to the government agents. Were they greedy? Yes, some were, especially when there was a Union market for the cotton as well. Some of these planters were playing both sides of the field, but in the end, they lost everything.

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David Upton