Imagination is a weak reed, for me as for others, but.....unavoidably delicious!!!!!!
Forrest had a true vision of how the Confederacy could prevail, I believe. (Sorry, SAM. Maybe I am just a romantic!!) A long shot, though.
The attrition war Lincoln sought could have been avoided by heavy attacks into deep rear areas, "Corps" level unhinging warfare. ("Operational Art" some call it these days.) As Federal logistics required the railroads, a Shermanesque, even Sheridan-in-the-Valley approach, that is, twist the hot rails around trees and burn everything burnable was in order. Go all the way to Buffalo. (By the way, this approach was advocated as the only hope by - ready? - Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson.)
The war was pretty much over with the abandonment of Harper's Ferry. Stonewall could see that the Ohio headwaters and the B&O were the center of gravity in the North. Hold there, and maybe keep Kentucky. Then maybe contest navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi. Maybe Victory. Jackson had uncanny insight.
The loss of West Virginia was a crushing blow.
To forestall the possibility of Confederate success in Kentucky Grant moved on Forts Henry and Donelson. (Notice Bragg milled around like an idiot.) The war was lost in February 1962. Forrest was there, and boy, was he angry. That the CSA commanders were "drunken cowards" is the gist of his report.
One thing SAM has right is that every way the Confederacy could turn they had a serious problem with lack of heavy industry.
I don't see how the Confederacy could have dealt with the naval blockade.
Attempt the old dream of "the tactical defensive, the strategic offensive." Better yet, go with Robert Edward Lee when he asked Davis to sue for peace after the Seven Days. (The letter survives.) Ask the English to mediate. A Cease Fire in Place was possible, with relaxation of the Blockade. (I don't know this for sure, naturally.) Promise to come back into the Union, send Congressmen back, pull Lincoln's plug. Keep the Republic.
One of these days I am going to drive and walk the approach routes, railroads, etc. to Gettysburg and spend a few days walking the field. Most important piece of ground in North America.
Attempt the old dream of "the tactical defensive, the strategic offensive." Better yet, go with Robert Edward Lee when he asked Davis to sue for peace after the Seven Days. (The letter survives.) Ask the English to mediate. A Cease Fire in Place was possible, with relaxation of the Blockade. (I don't know this for sure, naturally.) Promise to come back into the Union, send Congressmen back, pull Lincoln's plug. Keep the Republic. I see your point about imagination being "unavoidably delicious". Clearly nobody can subscribe to a monolithic scheme of causation. When asked outright, "who won the war", Shelby Foote's response, "I can tell you who lost." He further stated that it was the robber barons of late in the century who "won". What was gained that could not have been gained without a war. Truly on the face of it the North won. But at what price? I digress.
I guess I asked the question regarding a "Forrest Presidency" because while Forrest might have been brilliant in allocating resources and strategies against a preponderance in men and economic industry of the North, the South never had the transportation system that could evolve a command or logistical system adequate to do the job.
Politically, the South was so distracted unto desperation by internal strife that there was never any wisdom from a congress or even public virtue among the people.
I begin to understand why Lee saw that the full and total annihilation of the Army of the Potomac could "possibly" bring a negotiation for peace and then perhaps a more willing Europe could have intervened.
I think we all would agree that a N.B. Forrest never relied on "laws of successful" war. He never worked things out by rule. I have yet to read anywhere (so please correct me if I'm wrong) his quoting a Napoleon or Frederick. While others worked out problems of an ideal character on a blackboard, Forrest "split in two and charged both ways". It helps when you're a natural genius. He was born to be a soldier.