Matt Myers HIST 1483

 Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807 at "Stratford" in Westmoreland County, Virginia.  Robert E. Lee was raised and attended school in Alexandria, Virginia on the Potomac River across from Washington.  At West Point he excelled in his studies and in the military exercises, he graduated second in his class in 1829.

 Lee became second lieutenant, and then married Mary Ann Randolph Custis, a direct descendent of Mary Washington, in They had seven children together.  With the outbreak of hostilities with Mexico, Lee was assigned duty with the army and fought in many battles under General John E. Wool and General Winfield Scott.  Lee distinguished himself during the war and received several promotions in rank after the war ended. Second Lieutenant Union Badge

 In 1859 Lee was in Washington when the radical abolitionist John Brown and his followers raided the U.S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA. Lee was sent with his troops where they took Brown prisoner. Lee was against secession, only if Virginia would secede would he then have to make a decision. Harpers Ferry, VA

 In 1861, the south seceded and Virginia soon followed. Lee was offered a command in the Union Army but declined it.  Lee resigned his commission and moved his family to Richmond. Lee offered his services to the state of Virginia and was placed in command of all military forces from that state. He was later assigned as personal military advisor to President Jefferson Davis. It was a difficult time for him and he suffered heavy criticism. Confederate President Jefferson Davis

 In the spring of 1862, the Union Army of the Potomac attacked Richmond in the battle of Seven Pines. General Joseph Johnston commanding the Confederate forces was seriously wounded, so Lee was immediately assigned to replace Johnston to take over command of the army, which he renamed the Army of Northern Virginia.

 General Lee's army was always outnumbered, out gunned, and often in a poor position to attack or defend. Yet General Lee was a practical strategist who was willing to take risks to outmaneuver his opponents.  The support of excellent commanders contributed to repeated victories against the Union Army again and again.  The Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia turned out to be Lee's greatest victory, but at a very high cost when "Stonewall" Jackson, his most trusted officer, was mortally wounded. Lee carried on and invaded the North once again marching to Gettysburg.

 General Lee was caught up in the "Overland Campaign", also known as the "Wilderness Campaign" in 1864 with General Ulysses S. Grant. The two armies fought continuously for many weeks through middle Virginia. Lee was able to block every maneuver Grant made and though Lee's forces inflicted heavy losses on the Union army, he knew that time was running out for his own.

 In March 1865, Lee ordered one last desperate gamble to break the Union siege of Petersburg. Though initially successful, the attack was repulsed by overwhelming Union firepower and Grant renewing his efforts to take Petersburg by force. The Battle of Five Forks gave the Union control of the last southern railroad into Petersburg. With time and odds against him, Lee ordered his army to abandon both cities.

 Lee knew that the end was at hand when his surviving forces were blocked near Appomattox Court House, Virginia on April 9, Dressed in his finest Confederate gray uniform, General Lee met with General Grant that afternoon to sign the terms of surrender to save the lives of his last 7,500 remaining soldiers. Lee left Appomattox and his army forever and returned to Richmond. He was branded a traitor by many who wished to see him imprisoned and hanged.

 Lee quietly remained at his home in Richmond caring for his wife. In the autumn of 1865, Lee accepted a position as president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Lee helped bring the school up to a higher standard of education.

 Lee never discussed the war nor wrote about his war-time experiences, he wanted the record of his army speak for itself. On October 12, 1870, General Lee died after a short illness and is buried in the chapel of the university. Lee has been compared to General George Washington in terms of the respect which he earned from his soldiers, his region, and the nation.

 "1964 Anniversary of the Wilderness Campaign Commemorative." Stamp Collecting. Web. 8 Nov  "April 2, 1865 Grant Broke Through at Petersburg." Rhapsodyinbookss Weblog. Web. 1 Nov  "Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, Arlington, Virginia." America In Context. Web. 8 Nov  "Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia." Web. 8 Nov  Battlefield Anomalies. Web. 7 Nov  "Biography of General Robert E. Lee." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 7 Nov  "Biography of General Robert E. Lee." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 8 Nov  "Harpers Ferry Old Armory Grounds." To the Sound of the Guns. Web. 1 Nov  "Pictures: Stonewall Jackson Statue." Pictures / Stock Photos. Web. 8 Nov  "Robert E Lee - Artist Rick Timmons." Portraits in Oil by Portrait Artist Rick Timmons - Adult / Child Portraits, Horse Portraits, Firefighter, Motorcycle Art. Web. 8 Nov  "Robert E. Lee -- Biography." American The University of Virginia. Web. 7 Nov  Stephen B Rogers Antique Arms. Web. 8 Nov