Robert E. Lee was born in Virginia in 1807, and from early on he was faced with the task of living up to his father, who was a Revolutionary War Hero. When he grew up, he attended the United States Military Academy and excelled as a cadet. He was never given a demerit, which is an extraordinary feat and has yet to be surpassed. After the academy he went to work on forts in the South. During this time he met his wife, Mary Custis, who was the granddaughter of George Washington. When war erupted in 1845 against Mexico, Lee was given the important duties of mapping out the terrain ahead, dividing the line of advance for the U.S. troops, and in one case leading troops into battle. The Mexican-American war not only gave Lee experience, but notoriety as well. Following the war, he resumed his position as an army engineer and moved to Washington D.C. During this time, he played a vital role in stopping the radical abolitionist, John Brown, and his followers. Brown's failed attempt at igniting a large-scale slave revolt deeply intensified sectional tension. Soon after, Abraham Lincoln was elected President, and South Carolina then took the initiative to secede and was then quickly followed by six more southern states. Lincoln then called upon Lee to command the Union army; however, Lee rejected his offer as his home state of Virginia had seceded and was now part of the Confederate States of America (CSA). Lee instead was granted the role of head commander in chief of the Confederate army by the president of the new country, Jefferson Davis.
Robert Lee quickly gained recognition for his military prowess as the Confederates won the Battle of the Bull Run and then took advantage of McClellan’s cautious strategy and won the Seven Days Battle as well; however, Lee did not remain victorious for long, and lost the Battle of Antietam. Lee then fought back and with the help of Stonewall Jackson, defeated General Hooker at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. As the war dragged on and supplies and men ran scarce, Lee decided to try to invade the north for the second time and force Lincoln to sign a letter demanding recognition of the CSA. The most monumental battle of the Civil War, the Battle at Gettysburg, then occurred. On the third day of fighting Lee decided to take a risk to end the war and ordered a mass frontal assault which would later be known as Pickett’s Charge. This attempt failed and southern troops were killed in masses. Lee and his troops endured fighting for two more years after Gettysburg, but when all southern hope and morale was lost due to a lack of supplies and manpower, Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant, the Union leader, at the Appomatox Court House on April 9th, 1865.
After the war Lee was almost tried as a traitor, but was only left with his civil rights suspended. Lee later accepted a position as president of Washington University, which was later named Washington Lee University.
Cited Sources
Brasington, Larry. “Robert E. Lee: General of the South”. From Revolution to Reconstruction. 14 September 2010.
Sifakis, Stewart. “Who Was Who In The Civil War”. Robert Edward Lee. 25 November 2006.
Stuart, John. “Robert E. Lee”. Robert E. Lee. 10 May 2008.
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