Yes, Lee was a great General but his forte was the attack. He liked big battles and thought he could sweep Gettysburg. Had he not waited until the North could solidify their position he might've won but it was against great odds. Longstreet was a genius defensive General and wanted to set a trap on defensible ground and force the North to challenge and it might've worked but Lee opposed that strategy. Sherman's march was stalled by Johnston's hit and run tactics but Lee wanted decisive battles so he replaced him with Hood. How'd that work out?
Most Northern Generals were not exactly thrilled with the slaves. They did not want to be burdened with noncombatants. Meade denied slaves any help. Sherman was at first sympathetic to the South but over time soured. He was friends with Beauregard and had worked with him in Louisiana. He hated the slaves and was a pretty shallow man all in all. He evolved into a ruthless General and was effective at bringing the South to it's knees.
This was essentially a war fought for the preservation of a dying lifestyle aggravated by territorial dispute. It is sad and like all wars too many lives were lost due to idiot decisions made by command officers. We lost many ships to German U-boats because our command could not and would not take advise from Britton about escorting them. We left our costal cities lighted and committed many sins that cost innocent lives. They relieved Rear Admiral Kimmel of duties after Pear Harbor for not being clairvoyant. It's a destructive learning process.
