The South made a serious error by attacking Fort Sumter becoming the ?aggressor? initially. Allowing the North to make the first offensive movement would have served the CSA far better in the foreign political arena. Although England would have had issues mustering large ground units commitment of the Royal Navy could have ended the blockade of Southern ports. A large scale sea battle between the USN and the RN would have likely resulted in the destruction of the USN. The South was dependent on cotton export to generate cash for arms purchases. Removal of the blockade would have allowed the South to trade freely on the world market.

Lees' skill maintained a balance militarily in the Eastern Theater but he had not achieved the decisive victory necessary to bring England into the fray nor force a war weary North to negotiations: total annihilation of the Federal army. Logistically, the South was in poor shape by the time of the 1863 Pennsylvania invasion. One of the primary reasons for moving North was the AoNV would gather supplies off Northern soil as Virginia's resources had been severely depleted with no respite. Another goal of the campaign was to disrupt Federal operational planning in the short term. Jeff Davis hoped the move would divert attention and forces from the Western theater away from Vicksburg.

Prior to the Battle of Gettysburg quality of the rank and file of the AoNV had been eroded in virtually every action. Specifically the officer corps had suffered losses that Lee had few qualified replacements. The reorganization of the Corps created more vacancies. Men though brave and willing were assigned leadership roles they were not qualified to adequately perform. Lee correctly foresaw that attrition would ultimately destroy his army. IMHO his actions and performance at Gettysburg were influenced by the need to destroy the Army of the Potomac. Lee carried a document signed by Davis requesting negotiation if Lee was successful in this destruction. The following quotation is from R E Lee by Douglas Southall Freeman, Vol III, Chapter 5, P 59. "Our army," he was quoted long afterwards by Trimble as saying, "is in good spirits, not overfatigued, and can be concentrated on any one point in twenty-four hours or less. I have not yet heard that the enemy have crossed the Potomac, and am waiting to hear from General Stuart. When they hear where we are, they will make forced marches to interpose their forces between us and Baltimore and Philadelphia. I shall throw an overwhelming force on their advance, crush it, follow up the success, drive one corps back on another, and by successive repulses and surprises, before they can concentrate, create a panic and virtually destroy the army."

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