What was the purpose of the long drive?

Answer 1

"The Long Drive" is generally associated with the cattle drives from various places in Texas to the Kansas Railroads in towns like Abilene and Dodge City for rail shipment to the eastern population centers. In 1861 thirty-five thousand head of beef passed through Abilene on their way to the dinner table in large eastern cities. Ten years later the number had grown to 1.5 million.