[BroJoeK]

central_va: "The only hope for the South was stalemate. You've been smoking something."

• When Lee invaded Union Maryland in 1862 he was seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• When Lee invaded Union Pennsylvania in 1863 he was seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• When Confederates under Sibley invaded Union New Mexico Territory in 1861 they were seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• When Confederates fought with Indians in Union Oklahoma Territory they were seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• Confederate armies in Union Missouri and Union Kentucky were seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• When RE Lee commanded Confederate forces in Union West Virginia in 1861 he was seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• When Jefferson Davis prepared to invade Union Illinois in 1862 he was seeking victory, not "stalemate".
  
• As late as 1864, when John Bell Hood's Confederate army attacked Union forces in Tennessee, they were still seeking decisive victory, not "stalemate".

Point is: nobody fights for "stalemate".
Especially early-on Confederates hoped to win enough battles to call any peace settlement a decisive victory.
That's simply indisputable.

[central_va]

Joe, the Southern strategy from Sumter on wards was a forced settlement after a stalemate. That is fact. You are a product of some real bad education I guess.

With a small industrial base, a pretty good Union Naval blockade choking the CSA and out numbered 3:1 do you really think the people of the South are that dumb to think that they could invade/conquer/occupy the North?

I think what is going on is that history is written by the victors and they want to portray the North in this existential perilous fight against a Southern invasion which is preposterous, funny and exactly the opposite of what actually happened.