Robert Lee Biography

Robert E. Lee is no doubt one of the most iconic names in Civil War history. Robert E. Lee was the commanding General of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. Lee is best known for leading a very motley crew of under armed, and very poorly equipped Army against a much, much bigger Army and still winning many battles. Growing up very poor Lee saw entering the Military as a great way to have a career and obtain an education along the way. At age eighteen Lee enrolled at West Point Military Academy and graduated at the top of his class. In fact Lee was one of the most highly thought of people when the Civil War broke out. Abraham Lincoln even went to Lee to present him with the idea of being the leader of the whole Union

On June 30th, 1831 Lee married Mary Randolph Custis, the great-granddaughter of George and Martha Washington. Together Lee and Mary had seven children, three sons and daughters. Even after getting married and having children Lee stayed devoted to his military duties, while many of his Army loyalties moved him around the country, from Savannah to Baltimore, to New York, Mary stayed with their children on her father’s plantation. Lee finally got the break though he had been waiting for in 1846, when the United States went to war with Mexico. While Lee was serving under General Winfield Scott, Lee proved that he could be a brave battle commander and a very smart tactician. After the war in which the U.S. had victory in Lee was considered a hero, and General Scott showered Lee with praise and said that if the U.S. went into another war they should consider taking out a life insurance policy on the

The battle ended Lee’s encroachment on the North and helped to turn the tide of the war around the Union. In the summer or 1864 Ulysses S. Grant had acquired control, and pulverized much of Richmond, the Confederates capitol, and Petersburg. On April 2nd 1865 when Lee was forced to leave Richmond the destiny of the war became clear to him and a week later Lee surrendered to Grant privately at a house in Appomattox, Virginia. Lee even told an assistant “I suppose there is nothing left for me to do but go see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand