All good points clevepreach.

in my studies of the conflict I think the southern leadership realized that they couldn’t win a long drawn out conflict, but I think they correctly surmised that if they made it horrible enough earlier on, that the north would sue for peace, which if you take in the big picture It came within a hair breadth of happening. If McClellan had the won the presidency, it was almost assured.

like you mentioned, grant realized like no other general did apparently, that lee was working with limited resources, and all he had to do is make him burn through them.
i also believe if Longstreet would have a more active role in the conflict, he could’ve give grant a run for his money.