“best army of the 19th century”
Bracketed in time as the federal army of 1861-1865 was by the continent wide victories of Napoleon’ s army and the decisive victories of the Prussian army in Denmark, Austria and France in the 1860s and 70s, one might pause before rendering such a broad conclusion.
I’m including Napoleon’s Grand Armee, Wellington’s coalition, and the Prussians of 1871.