A successful rush on Richmond might have ended the Confederacy quickly, which made the direct route politically attractive. It was the fast option, while the Anaconda Plan offered the more sensible way to exploit Union advantages over time. The Union had more manpower, a larger industrial base, its own militias, and much of the prewar regular army. An apparently decisive objective could still be the wrong opening campaign for unready troops.
Notable Point · 9:08-9:29
A quick Richmond strike versus the Anaconda Plan
The direct attack on Richmond promised a rapid decision, while the slower Anaconda Plan better fit the Union's ability to sustain a long war.