Best Chance for Lee to Inflict Decisive Defeat on the Army of the Potomac?

Anaxagoras

Banned
During his tenure as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee defeated the Army of the Potomac on many occasions: Seven Days, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Cold Harbor and arguably other engagements. But none of these victories were truly decisive, as the Federal forces were always able to withdraw and were never in danger of suffering an Cannae-scale defeat.

Did Lee ever have a chance to inflict a truly decisive defeat? If so, on what occasion?

E. Porter Alexander was of the opinion that the Battle of Glendale in June of 1862, during the Seven Days Battle, was Lee's greatest missed opportunity. General John Gordon thought Lee had a chance to smash the AotP at the Battle of the Wilderness in May of 1864, had his attack on Grant's right been allowed to go forward earlier in the day. Of course, volumes have been written about Lee's missed chances at Gettysburg.

Thoughts?
 
I tend to trust Alexander over Gordon, but I don't think Lee ever really had a chance for a total knock out blow. Those almost never happened in the ACW.
 
True. The only time it ever happened was Thomas vs. Hood at Nashville.

So failing that, what kind of result would you consider a decisive defeat?

Chickamauga for the Army of the Cumberland was pretty nasty, the ANV accomplishing something similar good enough?
 
But what would that mean?

I'm trying to think of what kind of defeat would be enough for the question.

Chancellorsville OTL was a win for the ANV because Hooker lost his nerve.

If somehow the battle had begun earlier in the day (like in the morning as opposed to late afternoon), Jackson might have pulled it off.

As it was, Hooker was saved by the coming of darkness and subsequent friendly-fire shooting of General Jackson.
 
If somehow the battle had begun earlier in the day (like in the morning as opposed to late afternoon), Jackson might have pulled it off.

As it was, Hooker was saved by the coming of darkness and subsequent friendly-fire shooting of General Jackson.

And the whole "The Army of the Potomac could actually fight." bit ANV fans tend to - like Lee - overlook.
 

Kaptin Kurk

Banned
I tend to believe it was impossible. Granted, most of the generals of the Civil War had been raised on tales of the battles of the Napoleonic age, where it wasn't uncommon of an army to be destroyed after it had broken. The technology had changed, though. By the civil war era, rifles had developed to the point where even ragged and disorganized soldiers with low moral were still going to be able to cause a problem for fast moving cavalry, and relatively distant and well-organized riflemen and artillery could support their retreat.

There's a reason civil war armies wasted away, rather than being destroyed in one grand stroke. And it isn't just 'luck'.
 
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