What was the greatest chance for a Confederate victory?

There great victories came at a huge cost because Lee favored these big frontal attacks that were wasteful. If they had a more defensive strategy that could allow them to take the North through minor casualties.

Stonewall Jackson is highly overrated in my opinion. I'll get to that in a minute though. I think Lee was the reason the South survived as long as it did. Time and time again, Lee saved the South from certain destruction, and prevented the Union from taking Richmond (which btw the North never took).

Now on to mr.stonewall. First of all, he was notoriously slow. Now don't get me wrong, Jackson was not a bad commander by any means, but while he was great at inspiring his men, he did have quite a few horrible days in the field, and a tendency to use poor tactics. When you hear about Jackson, you only hear about the good things he did. First Bull Run (where his nickname comes from), The Valley campaign, (where he was up against inferior generals), Chancellorsville (won by Lee's strategy and audacity), and you hear about the battle of second bull run where Longstreet's devastating attack was often overlooked. You never hear about the Seven Days campaign, because Jackson's performance was abysmal at best. Great Civil War general, but extremely overrated. Nowhere near as good as Lee or Longstreet for that matter.

That's not what I was talking about.... I was talking about British intervention. Though I agree with what you said here.

Lee was and is probably the greatest general in American history. He defeated the Union army time and time again for example the seven days campaign, Fredricksbur,g the second battle of bull run, Chanselorsville, Cold Harbor among others, he may have literally been the man who shaped the tactics used in World War I when he used trench warfare during the siege of Richmond. He was a military genius who would have won the war if he had more resources and men.

The Seven Days campaign was by no means a Rebel victory: They only won 2 of the 7, and lost 20,000 men. I wouldn't call that a victory.

The Seven Days Campaign was a Confederate victory because they pushed the Union away from Richmond. I believe the rebels also killed more union soldiers than the casualties they took themselves. Saying that is like saying the union lost at Gettysburg because they only won 1 out of the 3 days.

Also, @1Historygenius, you do realize that Lee planned everything Jackson did right? And that the Confederacy survived two and a half years after Jackson died...As far as I'm concerned Jackson's best feature was that he provided an excellent counterbalance to Longstreet.

But at what cost? He wasted 20,000 men at the Seven Days, he did not take advantage when time came like attack DC, he did not listen to Longstreet at Gettysburg. The south can win these big victories, but that does not mean that the battle resulted in good for their side. They lost a lot of men because of Lee's wasteful frontal attacks. Yet when they defended, and in the case of Cold Harbor did defend, that is more of what Jackson wanted to do.

@General Mosh Yeah, but Jackson wanted to attack DC when McClellan was off at the Virginia Peninsula and Lee refused. Jackson wanted to take DC after Bull Run to when the Army of the Potomac needed to replenish, but they did not take DC because Lee did not want to

Yes, this is true. Yet, with hindsight most of our top historians agree that it would have been a massacre for the South if they had managed to take DC. The South could ill afford those losses. Also, I think that Lincoln would have kept the war going anyhow even if DC had been taken. He wouldn't have been reelected, but he would keep the war going as long as he could.

Not unless he was not captured. Also this is not just DC, as I said Lincoln left very few forces to defend the vital interior of the north, they could have marched all the way to New York City if possible.

Didn't see my massive blob?

edit:

And leave the South wide open for a counter invasion.

No. Remember that McClellan's forces still need to face Lee who is defending Richmond. Now Lee did win the battle, but I am sure he is capable of being a good defender to and instead of waste lives by attacking. The real problem if this scenario were to place out would be battles in the west.

Edit: What blob? I don't see a blob.

It was only a Rebel Victory because Mac gave him it. It was not like Gettysburg at all. Gettysburg, Lee put everyone in, and still lost. 7 Days, Lee did the same thing, but Mac lost his nerve, and pulled them back.

While Mcellan was a terrible commander, he still commanded an army that dwarfed the size of Lee's. Lee could and would not survive long in an invasion, just because sheer numbers alone would force him back. That's why his two invasions failed.


Edit: What blob? I don't see a blob.

After the battle of the wilderness Grant called forth the forces that garrisoned the major northern cities to help replenish his ranks. That was upwards of 10,000 troops at the very least. Now ten thousand troops in a fortified position would have at the very least been able to hold until another union army came to there aid. Also Lee's army was not built for siege at best there supply lines were never enough he could not afford to loose men attacking a fortified possision streight on so he would have had to shell it he wouldn't have been able to do that for long because he would have run out of shells also the U.S. navy would have probobaly come to the aid of D.C. and would have countershelled the confederates. There is no scenario in which a confederate victory is possible unless they freed the slaves which would have defeated the purpose of the war.

He would never have been captured in D.C. In fact, it was very easy for him to escape via the Potomac on a gunboat. I want to see Lee try and take D.C. while blockading the Potomac.

It was a rebel victory because Lee won it for himself. And Mac lost his nerve because he was about to be flanked. And Union armies had a bad history if being slaughtered when flanked. The seven days was a massive clusterfuck in the woods too, neither side had much intelligence on the other.

They actually did begin to allow slaves in the army towards the end of the war.

Too little, too late.

First, off that is not a blob, that is a comment you typed up.

The Seven Days Battle would be when Jackson changed his battle tactics because of the horrific casualties he saw. Remember that the standard method of reaching a decision in battle was for two lines to march up and fire at each other. This strategy was used well over 2 centuries. As late as the Mexican-American War this tactic worked reasonably well. When it appeared a side was about to waver the issue was usually decided by a bayonet charge.

But now, defenders armed with accurate rifles could inflict devastating loses to the enemy as well as canister shot. Jackson had recognized a side defending was by the 1860s becoming stronger than an offense. His solution was not to use offensives, but defensives.

Jackson had the opportunity to test his new method when Lincoln ordered Union General John Pope's 60,000-man Army of Virginia to attack Richmond from the west while McClellan's army would attack from the east at the same time. But when it was realized McClellan would never take such a risk they had him evacuate to reinforce Pope.

When some of Pope's cavalry captured Culpeper, Virginia in July 12, 1862, Lee was forced to send Jackson with some 12,000 men (quickly raised to 24,000) to protect Gordonsville, 27 miles south on the vital Virginia Central Railroad that gave access to Shenandoah Valley. Since Pope was having difficulty assembling his troops, Jackson was able to send flying an isolated Union corps under General Nathaniel P. Banks at Cedar Mountain. Banks, however, was quickly reinforced by other Union troops, and Jackson withdrew to the Rapidan River, just north of Orange. Pope had put his whole army on the Orange-Culpeper Road. Pope left entirely unguarded two fords over Rapidan - Somerville and Raccon, a few miles east.

When Lee arrived on August 15, Jackson already had a plan. The Confederates could cross the two eastern fords and quickly sever the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Here was brilliant application of Jackson's new theory of winning battles. Pope, to reopen his supply line, would be compelled to attack. Jackson was sure that by using a defensive strategy he could defeat Pope and then force him against the Rapidan or to the west where mountains were and force Pope to surrender.

Although Lee told Jackson that he accepted this proposal, he actually did not understand it as an old general only able to understand old tactics and thus did not carry it out. Lee told Jackson that his purpose was to drive Pope out of Virginia not annihilate his entire force like Jackson wanted (I ask you, would you rather annihilate and force or just simply drive it back?). Yet Lee did not tell Jackson, who remained deceived until the end. Lee delayed his attack so long to the eastern fords that Pope found out and reacted. After Lee's cavalry commander J.E.B. Stuart failed to burn the railroad bridge at Catlett Station, Lee called Jackson to break the railroad with his 24,000-man corps.

Here was an opportunity not to be missed. Instead of striking the nearest point of the railroad behind Pope, Jackson swept west of the Bull Run Mountains and eventually made it to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad less than 30 miles from DC which was open. Pope was quickly shocked when he found out and had his entire army move northward, but by August 28, Jackson was gone and the supply base was in ruins.

Jackson had withdrawn to Groveton where Lee was to move and meet him the next day. Jackson was sure that Pope thought he was cowering in fear at Groveton and that Pope would attack. He was also certain that Lee would then attack Pope's western or left flank and force them back to the Bull Run stream to the north. There was only one crossing at Bull Run stream, the Stone Bridge. Lee's forces could take it and stop Pope's only route to escape.

When Pope attacked on the morning of August 29, he failed, as Jackson predicted. Union troops suffered heavy loses and were demoralized and then Lee arrived, as Jackson expected, on the left flank of Pope's forces, but Lee did not attack. He and Longstreet argued all day and decided not to strike. Lee did not see the opportunity and a great chance was lost. Pope attacked Jackson again and again he failed, but Lee did not attack. Only at then of the day, when Pope's forces were on the verge of disintegrating did Lee order an attack, but it was too late. Confederate forces could not take the Stone Bridge by nightfall and the Union troops got away. Lincoln banished Pope off to the west to fight Native Americans and McClellan was put in charge. Jackson had offered Lee a way to win the war, but Lee did not grasp it allowing them to get away and if you think that was bad don't get me started on the Antietam Campaign.

Now that's a blob. Although I wish it was more organized and had less sentences that just appear cutoff.

Its not a blog its a comment.