The standard of military leadership was none to high on either side. Grant, Sherman and Sheridan made an unbeateable combination, but they came on the scene late. Lee gets a good press although he was content to fight a war of attritiion --- the one thing he couln't afford to do.
Lincoln's handling of the political side was much better although he made some mistakes too. J. Davis was pretty much a flop.
You discount the fact, and it's been posted a number of times, that observers in Europe thought there was no chance of subduing the south at all. They held this opinion, many of them, right into 1865.
Walt
Is that so, Walt? You have said it anonymously many times but thus far I have yet to see you identify these so-called observers nor acknowledge the fact that others among them thought differently.
In the meantime I have provided a number of cases from prominent northerners who predicted a quick march to Richmond with the whole thing being over in a matter of months, not the least of them being William Seward himself.