“In 1840, New Orleans was the third largest city in the country after New York and Baltimore. The population more than doubled from 1830 to 1840. In 1850, it was the fifth largest (Philadelphia and Boston having crept in ahead of NOLA).”
1840? 1850? Whats that got to do with the Civil War?
Show me evidence that 65% of all US exports in 1861 were not Soutern Cotton and not being shipped out of New York.
By 1861, the war had already started. Trade was disrupted and not much cotton was being shipped from anywhere.
But for the years immediately before the war, here's your evidence. Enjoy.
Water transport being cheaper than land transport, doesn't it stand to reason that more cotton would have been shipped out from New Orleans than taken over land to New York?