I understand what you are saying. But Joe Johnston was commander of Virginia forces until his wounding at Seven Pines. By Robert E Lee being appointed as his replacement it didn't make Lee any more powerful of a commander than say PGT Beauregard. They held the same rank. The army was divided into departments. I could see a major or lieutenant general squabbling to his wife about not being appointed higher up, or even to his own staff. But to rank these officers in order of importance is questionable. Maybe Davis held Lee in higher regard due to his successes or maybe the simple fact that The Army of Northern Virginia was pretty much the defense of Richmond, Davis' temporary home. The fact being that it wasn't until February of 1865 that Lee was designated overall commander of Confedertae forces. And just because I'm a stickler for details and not trying to belittle you, the officer's name is Albert Sydney Johnson. Johnston belonged to Joseph Eggleston. Sam Cooper was Adjutant and Inspector General so if any individual held position over any other full general it would be him. Cushy desk job guy. I agree with your political views on the command structure and The Commander in Chief. Davis had enough of his personality traits to deal with much less those of his field commanders. The Confederacy started to crumble from within it's own government. A government that quickly became a mirror image of that in Washington. Until the outcome at Gettysburg and Vicksburg the southern Army had pretty much proven themselves as the superior fighting force. And for the record, at Gettysburg the the total "present and under arms" in the Federal Army was 85,683. For the Confederacy it was 75,188 minus approximately 5000 cavalry under Stuart's command that didn't actively participate until the third day and then with little effect. Lee's army was never totally "up and on the field" as in "at the same time" in Pennsylvania.