Played a few campaigns now as the Union, I've noticed Athena doesn't seem to care enough about protecting Richmond.
She seems to transfer a lot of troops West. I can take Richmond by Summer of '63 with any idiot at the helm of the Doomstack of the Potomac. She doesn't defend forward, only leaves a powerful force at Richmond. Makes no attempt to defeat isolated corps, or take back key locations, which she abandoned, even when weakly garrisoned. (ie Fredricksburg and Williamsburg)