[James Ewell Brown Stuart]

Absolute disagree for they were ready at Gettysburg. They were always able to reconstitute their army quickly.

If you read the correspondance between Davis and Lee, it is easy to see that Lee had an overall strategy for the war and was ignored by Davis who thought he was the great military mind of the South.

There was no doubt Lee understood that the war was being fought on two fronts (he tried desperately to make Davis see how a two front war would benefit the South) but he did not think he was the answer to the West since Virginia was just as important to the war effort.

I disagree strongly with you on Lee's strategic ability. I think it was very good. You have him doing a lot of things out west but he did not think that Grant would react as you have Grant reacting.

[PzLdr]

I don't think the Army of the Potomac was in any shape for OFFENSIVE operations after Chancellorsville. What they did in the Gettysburg campaign was react, and play defense, except for Custer's attack at Runnel's farm. That's quite a bit different from undertaking offensive operations [especially when you change CGs].

I think Lee could have left Longstreet to watch the AoP, and headed west. That move would have had the potential to produce results more in line with Confederate aspirations than raiding Pennsylvania.