Kirk
The "liar" comment came from your stating that slavery made all our ideals into a lie.
The problem with ALL wars that the generals are taught to fight the previous war. It takes rare genous to go beyond the traditional thinking and be creative.
McClellan failed by falling into the trap as quoted in the movie Gettysburg. I do not know if the quote is genuine, but the thinking is right--[to be a sucessful general] you have to love the army, but you must not be afraid to use the thing you love; you must risk losing the thing you love... or something close.
McClellan could not bring himself to fully commit. Even when he outnumbered Lee's troops by double, he thought he was outnumbered---he probably was. Even when he had Lee's campaign plans and faced a divided army, McClellan couldn't commit.
Union troops were "led" by some of the worst lot ever. I think Dan Sickles must top that list as the most irresposible Union commander, but there are many in the running.
I think the biggest shock that confronted Confederate troops would have been at the close of the Wilderness, when, having defeated the latest drive on Richmond by the AOP, under this newcomer, Grant, instead of his retreating ti Washington to lick his wounds, he kept marching to their right. As you said, he knew he had more of everything, while Lee's supplies of everything was diminishing; it became simply a war of atrician.

I find it odd that you and I agree so closely on these aspects of the American Civil War, and are so far apart on more modern issues. Its not that I fully support the effort in Iraq; I am luke-warm at best. But how can we disengage now? " How can I ask this army to retreat in the face of the enemy? The enemy is there, and I will attack him there." ( REL July 2, 1863)