ᏐᎢ historians, ᏱᏂᎬᏛᎾ, ᎧᏁᎢᏍᏙᏗ Ꮎ ᎯᎠ ᎤᎦᎾᏭ ᎠᏰᎲ ᎤᏝᏅᏓᏕᎲ ᎠᏓᏠᎯᏍᏗ Ꮝ independence. ᏥᏄᏍᏗ James McPherson ᎤᎭ ᎠᎦᏎᏍᏔᏅ, ᎯᎠ Confederacy ᏂᎦᏰᏙᎲᏊ ᎾᎿ ᎯᎠ defensive, ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎧᏁᏨ ᎢᏯᏛᏁᏗ ᎦᏲᎳᎨᎢᏍᏗ ᎠᏂᏯᏫᏍᎩ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗ ᎦᎷᎩ. ᎯᎠ ᏗᏌᏊ ᎤᎾᎵᎪᎯ, ᎾᏛᏁᎸ ᎯᎠ strategic offensive, faced ᎤᎪᏗᏗ manpower ᏗᏔᏲᏍᏗ Ꮎ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᏳᏓᎵᎭ ᎠᏰᎲ ᎤᏦᎠᏎᏗ ᏗᏠᎯᏍᏗᏱ. ᏓᏄᏩ weariness ᏄᎾᏛᏅ ᏗᏌᏊ ᎤᎾᎵᎪᎯ civilians mounted ᎨᎳᏛᏍᏗ ᎬᏙᏗ casualties, ᎭᏫᎾᏗᏢ ᎯᎠ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎤᏓᎷᎸ ᏗᏌᏊ ᎤᎾᎵᎪᎯ advantages ᎪᎯᏳᏔᏅ decisive. ᎯᎠ ᎢᏴ, ᎯᎠ inevitability ᏗᏌᏊ ᎤᎾᎵᎪᎯ ᎠᏓᏎᎪᎩᏍᏗ ᎤᎾᎵᏃᎯᏴᎯ hotly contested ᏄᎾᏛᏅ scholars.