Thanx Doyle. Great analagy to chess. I agree with your perspective on historians and their "hindsight" view of the significance of certain battles i.e. Gettysburg the "highwater mark" which was certainly not seen so at the time as the war was happening in "real time" and ultimatly the fall of Vicksburg may have held more strategic impact, contrary to Clausewitz as the city itself because of its location, was more important than the garrison. Fixed outposts on rivers (because of transportation needs) in the west held more importance (Vicksburg,Helenea,Arkansas Post, Atlanta-rail, ect.) than they did in the east.