What amazes me is how they accomplished logistical planning back then when all communication/record keeping was on hand-written letters that could take weeks or months to arrive.
Consider the American Revolution, communication across the Atlantic could take months, yet the Brits planned campaigns, recruited, gathered, equipped and deployed troops, ordered, received and sent out all the myriad items needed.
Even more amazing; payment for goods and/or services rendered sent and received the same way.
All on the strength of slips of paper.
