http://www.amazon.com/Ageods-American-Civil-War-1861-1865-PC/dp/B000WF7HHC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1305595512&sr=8-1
Although I'm not giving up on the game yet, Raddmann does make some valid points about the game's sometimes over-the-top complexity and uber-steep learning curve.
On a plus note, I've done what many newbies here seem to have done. That is, I keep starting and restarting the game, and each time I restart I seem to get a little further. In my last attempt (as the CSA of course

Some general comments:
Union Aggressiveness - In my last game, by the end of 1861 the Union was making what appeared to be a seaborne assault on Richmond, and had also sent a flotilla down the Mississippi and captured Port Hudson. Heck, historically as everyone knows the Union didn't really get their war machine going until well into 1862, so this level of early aggressiveness seems wildly unrealistic. I think when I start again I'm going to lower the AI aggressiveness down a notch. Hopefully this won't make things too, too easy for the CSA though.
Army Organization – I need no convincing that this is the most important aspect of the game. What's confusing though is when and how the player should best go about doing it, especially when you are trying to fight at the same time. At what point does the CSA Army of the Potomac become the Army of Northern Virginia? When do additional army headquarters appear out West? I think the furthest I've gotten was being able to form divisions by late 1861. Does the creation of the bigger army formations hinge on the promotion of generals? Thus far the only people I've been able to promote are the two naval commanders (Buchannan and Semms).
Unexpected Union Attacks – This I found extremely frustrating. I mean, I've noticed several times where Union forces appeared to hit me from out of nowhere without warning. Freemont made his way down the Mississippi despite the fact that I had a pretty good flotilla around Island Ten, and McDowell I'm assuming came up the James to land at Richmond despite Buchannan's reinforced flotilla at Norfolk. Also, one time the Union ignored my forces in Kentucky and grabbed Nashville. Was this due to inadequate cavalry screening on my part?
Naval Blockade and Shipping boxes – I'm still confused by this. I mean, which CSA ships are best suited for which boxes? Ditto as far as the best aggressiveness settings for the ships (defense or offense?).
Anyway, I agree with the one poster who said that learning this game was on-par with reading Shelby Foote's seminal Civil War trilogy, which I'm currently re-reading now. Still in all, I tend to agree with those who say that this game on the face of things appears to be the best grand strategic Civil War game by far, but it does take a big commitment to learn and is certainly not for the faint of heart.
One more thing a bit off-topic. I recently played John Tiller's Campaign Atlanta, and although I loved the scope and breadth of the scenarios and the great Civil War music soundtrack, the AI is rather stupid and easy to beat most of the time, and the graphics are VERY dated. I guess the dumb AI is why the HPS pundits seem to promote mostly the PBEM multiplayer aspect of their games.
