HISTORY OF SALT IN WARFARE

Salt played a significant role in several wars across the globe. More wars were fought over salt than gold. In the United States, many wars were fought against Native Americans over salt licks or salt springs owned by Native Americans. Later, during the Civil War, control of salt mines was a chief strategy adopted by the Union and Confederate forces in many battles. Early in the war, Union forces captured the key Confederate salt works in Louisiana and Texas. The city of Saltville (home of several salt springs) in Virginia was captured and destroyed by the Union forces in a crucial 36-hour battle. To a great extent salt played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the Civil War in favour of the Union. In 1865 salt was selling at $ 1 per pound in the southern states of the US, a luxury by any standard.

The effects of salt deficiency are highlighted in times of war, when human bodies and national economies are strained to their limits. Thousands of Napoleon's troops died during the French retreat from Moscow due to inadequate wound healing and lowered resistance to disease - the results of salt deficiency.

Thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during his retreat from Moscow mainly due to scarcity of salt. Without salt to preserve food armies could not advance or carry out their mission. The wounds sustained by the soldiers would not heal if salt was not used. The open wounds encourage bacterial attack causing the soldiers to die soon. Salt deters bacterial attack and thus was an essential commodity in any army, especially in the past, before the invention of antibiotics.

Salt production facilities in Saltville, Va., Virginia's Kanawha Valley and Avery Island, Louisiana, were early targets of the Union Army. The North fought for 36 hours to capture Saltville, Va., where the salt works were considered crucial to the Rebel army - so crucial that Confederate President Jefferson Davis offered to waive military service to anyone willing to tend coastal salt kettles to supply the South's war effort. In addition to dietary

salt, the Confederacy needed the precious mineral to tan leather, dye cloth for uniforms and preserve meat.


Read More:
● Salt History
● History of Salt in Religion
● History of Salt in Warfare
● History of Salt in Politics
● Bangladesh Salt History
● History of Salt in Economics