It does suggest Lincoln was on a "chief Executive Power Trip" while looking at the situation on the ground solely from a political perspective - which, if true, calls into question his judgement throughout the War and, in turn, may give us some added perspective on Presidential behaviour at the height of wartime crisis.

In this regard, I have long wondered how America's history might have been reshaped had our military been controlled by military authority instead of civilian authority. That's probably a "what if" for another board, however.