Lee Lee's Psychology--A Fatal Flaw

I follow you pretty well, but at the end; which obvious fact did Lee not recognize? His army almost got chopped to pieces after both Northern excursions, trying to fall back across the Potomac to safe ground. Both he and Davis were also aware of the possibility of foreign intervention with a winning campaign. His whole strategy, IMO was to get the Union army off the soil of Virginia, and move the war up north of the Potomac so, in his words, "Those people..." could feel the devastation of conflict upon their own hearthstones.
As far as his childhood goes, he knew his mother wasn't well off, financially, due to his father's flightiness, and those vows and commitments to do better solidified, gaining him an impeccable service record through West Point until 1861, when he resigned. About his Napoleonic beliefs, I would believe whatever was studied at the academy took root. How much these battles influenced him, I really can't say. I have never studied Napoleon due to the strangeness of all the names. One more time, which obvious fact did Lee not recognize?
Lubliner.
I'll try to be succinct. Lee failed to recognize that all he had to do to win was to be in Union territory. If he engaged in battle anything short of a decisive win was a failure. At Antietam GB was convinced NOT to recognize the Confederacy and/or intervene to end the war by the simple fact of McClelland being left in control of the field and thereby being the winner. Had he swung back around east or west of McC, it would have made the Union government and generals look like a bunch of buffoons. further discrediting the Union and its ability to defend itself and therefore not legitimate.
 
I'll try to be succinct. Lee failed to recognize that all he had to do to win was to be in Union territory. If he engaged in battle anything short of a decisive win was a failure. At Antietam GB was convinced NOT to recognize the Confederacy and/or intervene to end the war by the simple fact of McClelland being left in control of the field and thereby being the winner. Had he swung back around east or west of McC, it would have made the Union government and generals look like a bunch of buffoons. further discrediting the Union and its ability to defend itself and therefore not legitimate.
Lee was outmaneuvered by McClellan in 62 and was lucky to not meet disaster. In 63, Lee was cocky and plain got beat.
 
Lee was outmaneuvered by McClellan in 62 and was lucky to not meet disaster. In 63, Lee was cocky and plain got beat.
I had choir practice tonight. When I came out of the church I stepped on an acorn and heard it go crunch. That is what should have happened to Lee when McC was gifted with the Lost Order. I defy you to give an example of any military commander in the history of warfare who given specific information as to his opponent's intention to divide his army into multiple units, widely separated. Who knows he has overwhelming numerical superiority. Yet fails miserably to totally exterminate the opposing army.

Suppose Ike in 1944 had an Ultra warning of the Ardennes offensive. Points of attack, routes, units involved, opposing commanders, strength, yet still had to rely on a desperate defense of Bastogne to snatch victory out of defeat.
 
I had choir practice tonight. When I came out of the church I stepped on an acorn and heard it go crunch. That is what should have happened to Lee when McC was gifted with the Lost Order. I defy you to give an example of any military commander in the history of warfare who given specific information as to his opponent's intention to divide his army into multiple units, widely separated. Who knows he has overwhelming numerical superiority. Yet fails miserably to totally exterminate the opposing army.
well, what you describe is not what happened in 1862...

McClellan did not in any way have overwhelming superiority... as have been show again and again and again on this forum.
 
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