[Non-Sequitur]

The invasion of Texas and seizing of the cotton was its purpose. It was the same purpose as the Red River campaign, which attempted to invade through the north.

What do you base this on, just out of curiosity?

It's better than nothing, and all indications from 1864-65 indicate that the runners in Galveston were among the most successful of the war.

Relatively speaking, perhaps. Texas at no time came close to the traffic of Charleston or Wilmington or Mobile.

[GOPcapitalist]

What do you base this on, just out of curiosity?

The website for the Mansfield battlefield and most of the histories of civil war Texas I have read. There's also a quote from General Banks out there who says his purpose was to close the "backdoor of the confederacy" or something of the sort and put its goods (meaning cotton) toward the union cause.