FREE ESSAY ON ROBERT E. LEE

ROBERT E. LEE

Throughout history, there have been people whose names and faces have become synonymous
with the time periods in which they lived. For example, Julius Caesar is synonymous with
the late Roman Republic and George Washington is synonymous with the American Revolution.
Just like these two men, the name Robert E. Lee has become synonymous with the American
Civil War. Not only did Lee rise to become the most important and recognizable person in
the Southern Confederacy, but his honor and virtuous acts during and after the war made
him a hero to modern-day Americans. Even though he fought for what many consider the
morally erroneous side of the war, the virtues of his character have made him a figure in
American history that should be honored and remembered.
Robert Edward Lee was born at Stratford Westmoreland County, Virginia, on January 19,
1807. Lee was the fourth of five children (the third son) of Ann Hill Carter Lee and
Henry ("Light-Horse Harry") Lee. Two children of Henry Lee's first marriage also lived
with the family (Thomas 916). Henry Lee had been a hero during the Revolutionary War and
served as the governor of Virginia and a member of Congress. By the time Robert was born,
his father's fortune and estates were in shambles. Henry Lee was never very good at
managing his estates and in 1809, was forced into prison due to the severity of his
debts. Three years later, freed from jail, he was involved in a political brawl in
Baltimore where he was beaten and disfigured for life. In an attempt to flee from debtors
and reconsolidate his money, Henry Lee fled to Barbados. He died in 1818, never having
seen his family again. Robert E. Lee's older half-brother Henry Lee Jr., further
dishonored the family in 1820 when it was discovered that he had seduced and impregnated
his wife's nine-teen year old sister. 
Despite the mistakes his father and brother made, Lee managed to grow learning the ways
of a true Southern gentleman. The departure of his father and two older half-brothers
made Lee the man of the house at an early age. His mother, Ann Carter, raised Lee in
modest circumstances and helped him to learn standard of conduct. Lee grew up in modest
conditions, and though he received the normal education for someone of his class, he had
to earn his own living and didn't live the easy-going plantation life that most members
of his family did. Since his mother did not have sufficient cash to send Lee to go to
college, he chose instead to enter West Point military and academy. He entered in 1825 at
the age of 18. At West Point Lee excelled tremendously. He finished second in his class
and didn't receive one demerit during his four years there (A feat that has yet to be
repeated since then). Lee entered Engineer Corps after graduation where he was employed
to build and maintain military installations and assist the Federal Government in the
enormous work of providing internal improvements in order to settle border disputes on
the frontier lands.
Lee married Mary Custis in July of 1831. Mary Custis was the daughter of Mary Fitzhugh
Custis and George Washington Custis, who was the adopted son of George Washington. Lee
became the heir to Washington although the marriage did not bring Lee any financial
benefits until Mary's father died in 1857. Until then, he had to support his wife and 7
children almost solely on his army officer's salary.
During this time his contemporaries almost always regarded Lee in a positive manner. He
was very handsome and made friends easily with both sexes. People often used the
adjective 'noble' to describe him. He never smoked, only drank an occasional glass of
wine and always kept his temper. He was a good son to his mother, who he personally
nursed through her final illness, a good husband to his, often selfish, wife and a good
father to his children. "He was quiet and dignified in manner, of cheerful disposition,
always a gentleman (Earle 28)." 
Lee served on the staff of his West Point friend Winfield Scott during the Vera Cruz
campaign to Mexico City during the war with Mexico in 1847. Lee's ability and talent
earned him notoriety with Scott who gave Lee the rank of Colonel. The time Lee spent in
Scott's staff during the Mexican War was the only real combat experience Lee had before
he entered into the civil war. 
When the first Southern States seceded in 1861, Lee was in command of a regiment in
Texas. He was recalled to Washington where he was to make the most difficult decision of
his life. Although opposed to secession, Lee considered himself a Virginian before an
American. If Virginia stayed in the Union then so would he, but if they seceded then he
would follow his native state. Lee suffered for weeks waiting for people to make
decisions that would ultimately force him to do his duty for Virginia. Then, at last, on
April 12 1861, Confederate general Beauregard opened fire on a Union Fort in Charleston
Harbor called Fort Sumter. Two days later, the Fort surrendered and Lincoln called for
75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebels. The Civil War began.
It is well documented that Lee was offered by Lincoln command of all the Union forces at
the start of the Civil War. Although it was a tempting offer and would ensure Lee fame
and power in the Union States after the war, Lee already had his mind made up. "Though
opposed to secession," he said, "I could take no part in an invasion of the Southern
states (Earle 56)." Lee left Washington and went to Richmond where he was offered command
of the military and naval forces of his native state. Lee demonstrated remarkable
abilities as an administrator and coordinator as he struggled to put the state in
readiness to defend itself. On May 31, 1862, Confederate General for all of the Southern
Armies, Joseph E. Johnston committed his army to the Battle of Seven Pines, and was
seriously wounded toward the end of the battle. On June 1, Confederate President
Jefferson Davis gave Lee command of Johnston's army and placed Lee in charge of the
Confederacy's fortunes. Lee withdrew the army and prepared the men for field
fortifications. The public saw Lee in those early days as being over-cautious, and earned
him nicknames such as "Granny Lee" or the "King of Spades." Lee knew better, he realized
that there was no hope of the Confederate ever having a successful of the North, his plan
was to hold out, and make decisive victories in the South that would force the North to
give up and accept the Confederacy. Although he withdrew, Lee quickly fought back in what
was known as the Seven Days' Battles. Sending J.E.B. Stuart to go around McClellan's army
and attack its flanks, while Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson's Shenandoah Valley army
struck the rear, Lee was able to successfully drive out McClellan's army. Lee was
suddenly a hero and the Confederacy seemed saved, although Lee was frustrated because he
wanted to destroy McClellan's army, not drive it out. The Seven Days' Battles began a
year of success for the Confederacy. The Campaigns of 1862 in Virginia concluded on the
Rappahannock River at Fredricksburg on December 13. Union general Ambrose E. Burnside
attacked Lee's army entrenched south of the city. The result was a massacre of Federal
troops, who never breached Lee's lines.
After the Confederacy's initial year of Success, the Union army began a slow yet steady
advance on the South. The Confederate army, under supplied and starving, could not hold
out against the vastly larger and well-supplied North, now lead by Ulysses S. Grant. The
final showdown occurred in Richmond where Lee was trapped in a war of attrition.
Eventually, on April 1 1865, Lee's lines became too thin and too short; he had to
evacuate his troops and the city of Richmond on April 2.
On April 9, 1865 Robert E. Lee and the shattered remnants of his army waited in a column
strung along four miles of road near the village of Appomattox Court House. Lee waited
for the return of his Lieutenant to give him the message that would tell him whether
further fighting would be useless. He pondered the consequences of the choice must soon
make. If he surrendered these men now, the other armies of the Confederacy would soon
follow and it would mean the end of the war. Lee's Lieutenant returned with news that Lee
had feared. He could not receive any more reinforcements or men. "There is nothing more
left me but to go and see General Grant," said Lee, "and I would rather die a thousand
deaths (Flood 4)." Lee met with Grant at the Appomattox Court house on April 9, to
discuss terms for the surrender of his army. Grants terms were very generous. All
soldiers would be allowed to return from to their homes and be fully pardoned as long as
they agreed to give up their weapons in surrender. Lee could do nothing but agree and
sign the terms.
It was irony enough that Lee could on this day have been the victor instead of the
vanquished (Flood 7). Like Lee, Grant had been at West Point but was forced to resign due
to habitual drunkenness. "The war had given Grant the opportunity to re-enter his
profession and the demonstrate a courage and resolve that strengthened with every crisis.
Like Lee, he never lost sight of his objectives; unlike Lee, he had the resources to
attain them (Flood 7)." 
When Lee returned to his troops, he was flooded by a mass of soldiers with fear and
terrible thoughts in them. "General," they said, "General? General, are we surrendered?"

Lee took off his hat and looked down into the hungry sleepless faces that surrounded him
as he sat astride his horse. 
"Men, we have fought the war together, and I have done the best I could for you. You will
all be paroled and go to your homes..." Tears flooded his eyes. He tried to continue, but
all he could manage was "Good bye." (Flood 16).
In the years following the war, Lee helped to support reconciliation between the North
and the South. He accepted the presidency of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia,
and attempted to educate a new generation of Southerners. He established a balanced
cirriculum between the traditional classical education and the more modern sciences and
engineering. Cardiovascular troubles plagued Lee at his years in Lexington, and on
October 13, 1870 he died from a massive stroke.
Even as Lee lived, he became a legend. He became somewhat of a Christ Figure to the
defeated southerners and he provided an excellent example that good people can loose and
still retain their dignity. Robert E. Lee, the perfect southern gentleman, has grown in
American legend to become both a figure of interest and inspiration. His achievements
before, during and after the war propelled him to win the hearts of both Northerners and
Southerners throughout America's history.
Bibliography
Current, Richard N., ed. Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. New York: Simon & 
Schuster Inc. 1993
Earle, Peter. Robert E. Lee. New York: Saturday Review Press. 1973
Flood, Charles Bracelen. Lee. The Last Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1981
Fishwick, Marshall W. Lee. After the War. Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 1963
Snow, Parker WM. Lee and His Generals. New York. Richardson &Co.