Well, I have stated my hypothesis about as well as it can be stated. It always difficult going back and doing a "what if", especially since so much time has elapsed and no-one here can really feel and understand the *culture* that existed in 1861...

Yes, it's much easier to deal with "knowledge" which is something that anyone who is willing to take the time can get...

The Civil War (which it wasn't) has been overly sanitized, revised and glorified for public consuumption to the point where noone has bothered to deal with the "what if's" other than discussin military tactics for whioch their are hundreds of Civil War "roundatbles" where people do nothin but that... But their aren't any "roundtables" that deal with alternatives to the war...

I find it interesting that some of my strongest allies here against the Iraqi War won't make the effort to use their imagination some here... For Einstien saif, "Imagination is more important than knowledge for knowledge tells us was is and imagination tells us what will be..."

There's really nuthin' else that I can say that I haven't allready said...

Peace

BObert