Civil War scoundrels and the Texas cotton trade / Walter E. Wilson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wilson, Walter E., 1949- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Swindlers and swindling.

History.

Cotton trade.

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades.

United States.

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Economic aspects.

Cotton trade--Texas--History--19th century.

Swindlers and swindling--United States--History--19th century.

Blockade.

Economics.

Texas.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

vii, 215 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2020]

Summary:

""During the Civil War, scoundrels from both the Union and Confederate sides were able to execute illicit, but ingenious, schemes to acquire Texas cotton. Texas was the only Confederate state that bordered a neutral country, it was never forcibly conquered, and its coast was impossible to effectively blockade. Using little known contemporary sources, this story reveals how charlatans exploited these conditions to run the blockade, import machinery and weapons, and defraud the state's most prominent political, military and civilian leaders in the process. Best known for his role in the romantic entanglements of his co-conspirator William Sprague, Harris Hoyt stands out due to his sharp intellect and fascinating character. Hoyt was able to draw most of Abraham Lincoln's inner circle into his web of deceit and even influenced the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. This is the first account to expose the depth and breadth of the many Texas cotton trading scams and the sheer audacity of the shadowy men who profited from them, but managed to escape the gallows."-Provided by publisher"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Texas Cotton Trade

Civil War Blockade Running: Setting Up the Scheme

The Winning the White House: Telling a Texas Tall Tale

The Texas Adventure Fleet: A Sinking Start

Hot, Dirty, and Full of Fleas: At the Rio Grande

Double Dealing Cotton in Texas

Escape from Texas

Deceived and Swindled from New York to Matamoros

Aiding the Enemy without Conviction

Post-War Scoundrels Reconstructed and Resurrected

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781476681276

1476681279

OCLC:

1133655141