"The Anaconda plan"
TR,
I don't think that worked very well do you. I think the plan that finally crushed the rebellion was the one that Grant and SHerman put together in Cincinatti in the winter of 63 that I referenced in an earlier post. Anaconda involved blockading and other things that did not work. Clearly 3/4's of all the product that went out by blockade runner got through both going out and coming in. Mississippi and the other states of the deep south were critical to the wars effort and anything that was done there to cause disruption would end the war sooner in my opinion.By the time that Sherman started his drive to the sea and Grant started his actions against Lee, the south was on its last legs anyway. Its resourses were for the most part gone, its troops were disillusioned, the slaves were increasing their slow down efforts, those with money saw the handwriting on the wall and were sending their resourses out of the south.
Was there any "fight" left in the south, yes there was but they were to the point of facing strangulation by the Federal forces and that is what brought first Lee to the table and later Johnston to the table. IN my opinion, had Lee tarried two weeks longer, he would have faced total incirclement by GRants forces and he being the brilliant general who fought great defensive actions during his time in command knew that.
FC