Great Hog Swindle facts for kids

The Great Hog Swindle was a program during the American Civil War in 1864. The Union Army bought hogs from farmers in Kentucky to feed their soldiers.

This plan was created by Major Henry C. Symonds. It happened because people trying to guess future prices (called speculation) caused problems with the supply of salt pork. The army's supply officers bought hogs directly from farmers. But the program was seen as a failure because farmers together lost about $300,000.

What Was the Great Hog Swindle?

The Great Hog Swindle was a nickname for a time when the Union Army needed a lot of meat for its soldiers during the Civil War. They decided to buy hogs directly from farmers in Kentucky. This was supposed to save money and make sure the army had enough food.

However, many farmers felt cheated. They believed the army forced them to sell their hogs for less than they were worth. This led to a lot of anger and protests.

Symonds' Big Idea

Major Henry C. Symonds first thought of his plan in 1862. But he didn't act until 1863. He told Brigadier General Joseph Pannell Taylor, who was in charge of army supplies, that he could pack a huge amount of meat. Symonds thought the army could buy live hogs for about four and a half cents a pound. He believed they could pack the meat for less than five cents a pound.

Symonds estimated this plan could save the U.S. Government $150,000. However, his idea didn't get much support at first.

In November 1863, news about a shortage of hogs made meat packers and sellers worried. But a month later, merchants started buying a lot of pork for the army, hoping to sell it for more later. This made prices go up quickly. In September 1863, pork cost $17. By May 1864, it was $32.

By the middle of 1864, getting pork for the army became a big problem. Symonds saw another chance to propose his project. General Amos Beebe Eaton quickly supported the idea.

On September 13, Symonds and others offered to buy, kill, and pack hogs for the army. They would also provide salt and barrels for $4.35 per hog. But Symonds believed he could do it for just $3.00 per hog. He wanted to prove it. By the end of September, Symonds was ready to handle the hog business by himself.

The Plan in Action

There were rumors that people who moved hogs (called drovers) planned to take all of Kentucky's hogs to Ohio. Symonds convinced General Stephen G. Burbridge, the commander in Kentucky, to issue an order. This order said that shippers needed a special permit to send any hogs out of the state. This rule forced Kentucky farmers to sell their hogs to the government.

When Burbridge's order became public, many angry meat packers came to the army's supply office in Louisville. Only the army's packers could process meat in Kentucky that season. Most people in Kentucky blamed General Burbridge for this situation.

Farmers and Protests

Symonds soon hired six agents to buy hogs for the army. Their instructions were to pay only eight cents per pound. Within ten days, these army agents bought thousands of hogs for seven and a half to eight cents per pound.

When the drovers and farmers found out that hogs in the Louisville market were selling for ten and a half cents per pound, they protested. They complained that the army had taken their hogs by force for an unfair price. Several newspapers supported the farmers and demanded that Symonds' agents be removed. To get back at the army, some packers and drovers filled newspapers with stories about the "Hog Swindle" and spread false rumors.

Later, another officer removed some shipping rules for trains and steamboats. However, he could not cancel Burbridge's order that restricted hog transportation. This meant the hog trade was still not free.

Changing Prices

By November 20, meat packers in Louisville started a campaign to get rid of Symonds. They contacted their congressmen, and the governor sent a committee. But nothing happened. Symonds soon learned about these efforts against him. He fired his original contractors and agreed to buy hogs directly from farmers after November 17.

The army then raised its offer to nine cents per pound for hogs delivered in Louisville. Kentucky farmers were now more willing to sell their hogs to the army.

On November 23, Symonds was told to have Burbridge remove all transportation restrictions. When the price of hogs jumped two cents per pound, Symonds claimed that the group of packers had made $300,000. The strong competition forced army contractors to raise their prices from nine cents to eleven cents per pound. Symonds eventually stopped fighting in Kentucky, but he stayed in the market until December 9. His new buyers had collected 33,000 hogs from Kentucky. Symonds also bought hogs from packers in Indiana, adding another 23,000 hogs to the army's pork supply by Christmas.

What Happened Next?

The army got eight million pounds of salt pork. This was 29,130 barrels, costing $34 per barrel. They also got other pork products. Even as the project was ending, pork was selling for $39 per barrel.

Symonds boasted that he had saved the government $200,000. But the Governor of Kentucky said something different. He stated that Symonds and his agents had taken $300,000 from Kentucky farmers.