If you similar to me, you will have biases. One of my bias being from the northeast is generally paying attention to the world around me and the history of the area. If you asked about the civil war my focus would be closer to the Atlantic Ocean. If you check the history, the Mississippi River played an important part of the war – who controlled it, controlled many elements of the war. Many people know the Mississippi River is big through the songs of Old Man River; stories about Tom Sawyer; looking on a map to see the river flowing from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico passing cities such as St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans. But how many think about the naval battles during the civil war? A book which does is Thunder Along the Mississippi by Jack D Coombe published by Bantam Books, 1998. Mr. Coombe argues the navy has been shaped by the battles on the river as it moved from wooden ships to metal ships. And as the Union began to control the river it forced the Confederacy inwards and towards having fewer resources of manpower, food and material from the western states.

In terms of strategy, it would appear the Confederacy rallied to arms then thought about how the war was to be fought. The Union States had manufacturing facilities which could be converted to war time production. In terms of the metal ships, the Confederates had few manufacturing facilities to fight an internal US war. Controlling the river for the Union meant a classic squeeze and yhey could slowly push the opposition into a corner to where the end was see able. The first victory was at Cario, Illinois and then the line to Nashville, Tennessee was secured and blocked. There were many battles on the river to control it and some of the battles involved a future President Ulysses S Grant which are outlined in the book

Linking to dividend paying stocks, most of us have a bias towards where we live. We see the world surrounding us and as you look for investment opportunities sometimes you have to look beyond your biases. Wherever there are people, opportunities can be found.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.