Stated in simple terms, the aim of the Confederacy was to sustain its independence while the Union was intent upon restoring the Union. One side had defensive aims with time on its side; the other needed to take the war directly to its enemy.
The Northern strategy was originally conceived by General Winfield Scott who, although elderly and in poor health, was able to devise what was called the “Anaconda Plan,” named after the constricting South American snake. The plan envisioned the following, to:
Split the Confederacy by sending army and navy forces down the Mississippi River and occupy strategic points
Starve the Confederacy by blockading the Southern port cities, making it impossible for them to receive European support or goods
Invade the South and capture the confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia.
The Southern strategy has often been described as offensive-defensive, meaning that the emphasis would be on defending Southern territory but offensive opportunities would be taken when presented. Confederate armies were split into state or regional contingents, in part in anticipation of potential invasion points, but also because of the political reality of allowing soldiers to remain under the control of local commanders or state governors. This spreading of troop strength risked the possibility of breakthroughs by the opposition. Later in the war the South would turn to a war of attrition, in the hopes that their entrenched forces could drag out the conflict until the Union withdrew in exhaustion. Both sides eventually resorted to the draft to fill their ranks.
Many of the material advantages in the looming conflict rested with the North. The South, however, had less tangible advantages and remembered America’s surprising victory over a superior world power in the War for Independence. A summary of the two sides’ prospects follows:
North
South
Population
22 million
9 million(including 3.5 million slaves)
Railroad mileage
20,000 miles of track
9,000 miles of track
Supply and communication lines
Long and exposed to hostile forces
Short interior lines—defending home territory
Gold reserves
$56 million
$27 million
Industry
Converted to war production
Little existed
Shipping
Merchant marine traded worldwide
Little; had depended on North
Theater of war
Enemy territory; unfamiliar
Home territory; well known
Military leadership
Some experienced officers
Many experienced officers from Mexican War
Military readiness of soldiers
Disproportionate number of immigrants; hiring of
substitutes common; desertion
Young men accustomed to outdoor life, guns, horses; desertion
also a problem
Public support
Public opinion sharply divided; Copperheads, draft riots,
bounty jumpers
Generally supportive of war effort, but tax evasion and
profiteering common
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Strategy (Civil War) ... experience, from which Civil War strategic doctrine derived, emphasized 3 strategies: destroying the enemy's army in 1 battle, seizing strategic sites, and capturing the enemy's capital. In the Civil War, attacking and defending Richmond and ... http://www.civilwarhome.com/strategycivilwar.htm
