Confederate government officials decided to move the capital of the Confederacy from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia.
At the time Richmond was the second largest city in the south. Confederate leaders also used it as a way to bribe Virginia into joining the confederacy. Plus, many people wanted the capital to be in Virginia since Virginia was associated with the very first settlement and colony in America (Jamestown, 1607). Many people felt like this would give the Confederate States more legitimacy.
This would also put the capital of the Confederacy less than 100 miles away from Washington D.C. Some saw this as an advantage while others thought this was a disadvantage.
The Confederate military strategy and Union military strategy were both different. Each one had a different overall political objective. The Southern objective was to establish complete independence from the Union and the northern objective was to restore the union.
Union strategy: the "Anaconda Plan"
Set up blockades of southern ports in the Mississippi River to stop the shipment of goods
Use the blockades to reduce number of casualties that would result from groundwater
Control the Mississippi River
Overwhelmed the confederate army with a larger number of soldiers
Make the southern population and economy suffer
Capture the Confederate capital: Richmond Virginia
The Confederate strategy was primarily defensive not offensive.
The Confederacy's main goal was to make sure their new nation survived. The land area of the Confederate States was twice as large as the original 13 Colonies. Confederate President Jefferson Davis knew it would be hard for the union to conquer that much territory. However, southern generals did try to invade the north whenever they had an opportunity.
Confederate Strategies:
Defend the Confederate region
Destroy the Union Army in each battle
Capture the Union Capital: Washington, DC
Cotton diplomacy
The south hoped to use their cotton industry as a bargaining tactic to get help and support from European countries, especially Great Britain and France.