[BroJoeK]

DiogenesLamp: "When any of that equates to sending 35,000 men to conquer your nation’s capital, you let me know."

In fact:

1. The great Northern fear from April 1861 on was the 100,000 man Confederate Army assaulting Washington, DC at a time when Union strength was only a few thousand.
   Then on May 9, 1861 after declaring war the Confederacy called up another 400,000 troops and Washington, DC was in a near panic.

2. Lee's invasion of Maryland in 1862 with 55,000 men included the goal of threatening and cutting of Washington, DC.

3. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in 1863 with 85,000 men included the goal of defeating the Union Army then protecting Washington, DC and so threatening the capital as to force a compromise peace.

4. Even as late as late as July, 1864 Jubal Early attacked Washington with 10,000 men.

5. In other theaters, many tens of thousands of Confederates invaded western Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, while thousands more raided into Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

6. Smaller Confederate guerilla forces operated in California, Colorado and even Vermont.

But the largest planned Confederate invasion, of Illinois, never happened because of US Grant's victories at Forts Henry & Donelson.
So the fact is it was lack of abilities, not lack of intentions which kept most Confederate invasions of Union states relatively small and inconsequential.

If Jefferson Davis could have done more damage up North, he certainly would have.

[DiogenesLamp]

Show a serious plan for invading the North prior to April 15, 1861 and you have a point.

If you cannot produce such a plan, then you do not have any sort of point.

The first serious effort at invasion occurred July 21, 1861, and was done according to Lincoln's orders.

[jmacusa]

The history could be very different in the South had carried the day at Gettysburg. It would have to have been a very resounding military defeat, such that the Union Army would never be able to rise. But the South was deluding itself before the first shot was fired.