In 1861 and 1862, what were the political strategies of the Confederate and Union leaders? Which side was the more successful and why?
1 Answer
Second question first, the South by a wide margin.
First question: assembling fighting forces, identifying leaders, and maintaining existing borders.
Explanation:
When you look at the first two years of the Civil War, you will find that most of the battles and skirmishes were fought in northern Virginia and southern Maryland. The south won most of the battles but was not prepared in those first years to occupy the land where they won battles.
Until July 1863 Lincoln had trouble finding a general to command all the Union Army. Generals like McClellan, Meade, Hooker and others consistently disappointed Lincoln in their conduct of the war. Lincoln's exasperation with his general officers reached its worst when he order Meade to pursue Gen. Lee after Lee's defeat at Gettysburg and Meade failed to do so, allow the remnants of the Confederate Army to retreat assailed into Virginia.
The war was a stalemate until that point, even though the Union had superior numbers of soldiers and far superior manufacturing ability. But on July 4, 1863 another Union general won the battle of Vicksburg Mississippi, Gen. U.S. Grant. When Lincoln appoint Grant to lead the Union troops and Grant called upon his friend Sherman, the tide of the war swung heavily in the Union's favor.
