Jim,

Politics could very well have gotten in the way. I have not seen these refernces of which you speak so I cannot comment. It is however, known that officers who were not from Virginia, had a difficult time obtaining high command in the Army of Northern Virginia. The non-Virginians who did reach division command level were some of the best officers in the army. John B. Gordon was one such. A case in point of a non-Virginian being better suited to command, was when Wade Hampton was passed over initially to command the army's cavalry after Stuart's death. In my opinion Hampton was a more appropriate replacement, but the command went to Fitz Lee. But here I get into debate and I shy from that.

Len