US Capital in a Confederate Victory?

The CSA would never ever have their capitol in some Northern Yankee city like New York or Philadelphia, or Boston or even Columbus Ohio. I'd say the best bet would be Richmond VA, or even New Orleans as a sleeper pick.

Richmond because it was the Confederate Capitol during the war, because nearly all the Generals and members of the upper class were Virginians. I mean heck, the army that Gen Lee was in charge of was called "The Army of Northern Virginia". I really cant see them going up to Boston or Philly when they had a perfectly good Capitol on Southern ground. Everyone needs to remember how divided everyone was back then. Calling oneself an "American" was really a novelty. Mostly people identified themselves as Virginians, Pennsylvanians, and so on, so the very idea of a Confederate government being established above the Mason Dixon line is crazy to me.
 
Portland, Oregon.

Just in case, it would take the CS Army a while to get there....

Now, seriously, though Turtledove's Philadelphia is IMHO the most probable way to (with Washington remaining the de-jure capital for as long as possible), I find the idea of Chicago compelling. A post-defeat USA would have to concentrate on developing the West as thoroughly as possible. Chicago would be the place right in-between East and West. Also, it was a boomtown in that era.
 
This is admittedly an odd choice but what about Cleveland, OH. In 1860 it's the 21st largest city in the Union, 17th if you discount Brooklyn as essentially part of NYC, New Orleans because it's in the CSA and Baltimore and Washington because they've presumably been lost in this scenario. That's not exactly the largest thing around but Washington DC itself was only 14th in 1860.

Cleveland is also relatively centrally located among the remaining Northern States in the East (though not territories and California/Oregon/Nevada). It's farther North than Philly and less vulnerable to a possible British attack if that's a concern. Cleveland is also far enough east as to not be in the West proper like Chicago, which ought to placate the New-Englanders, but also far enough west to placate any western-looking expansionists. In short it would be nobody's ideal but a reasonable compromise between Columbus (too small at 49th largest city but centrally located) Chicago, which is in the West proper at the time and thus strikes me as an odd choice, and Philly, which is honestly not that much more defensible than Washington DC and also not centrally located.
 
Columbs was a growing city at the end of the Cival War. OTL it is the state capitol of Ohio. Since the shift to was west at that time Columbus makes sence.

If Maryland stays with the Union then I think the capital would remain just where it is. But if Maryland joined the CSA then I think that's probably the direction I would see it take. After the war and in a way to consolidate and pull together the nation in defeat the capital is moved. Placing the capital in a much more central location makes a certain amount of sense. railroads make for Ohio to be within reach of everyone. Not sure how the New England block would take such a proposal but I would see it. Give them a chance of also not having a capital which takes it namesake from a Virginian as well ;)
 
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