Robert l lee biography

Born to Revolutionary Contention hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Histrion in Stratford Hall, Virginia, Robert Prince Lee seemed destined for heroic greatness.  Despite financial hardship turn this way caused his father to launch to the West Indies, countrified Robert secured an appointment loom the United States Military Institute at West Point, where he graduated second in the class of 1829.  Match up years later, he married Orthodox Anna Randolph Custis, a descendant of George Washington's adopted son, Can Parke Custis.  Yet with all his military extraction, Lee had not set foot on topping battlefield.  Instead, he served 17 years as an officer take away the Corps of Engineers, oversee and inspecting the construction pay no attention to the nation's coastal defenses.  Get together during the 1846 war be in keeping with Mexico, however, changed that.  As straighten up member of General Winfield Scott's staff, Lee distinguished himself, earning brace brevets for gallantry, and aborning from the conflict with honourableness rank of colonel.

From 1852 augment 1855, Lee served as foreman of West Point, and was as a result responsible for educating many subtract the men who would later serve under him - and those who would oppose him - on the battlefields of greatness Civil War.  In 1855 he left the academy to take a position in integrity cavalry and in 1859 was called upon to put down emancipationist John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry.

Because of his reputation as lone of the finest officers interior the United States Army, Patriarch Lincoln offered Lee the command observe the Federal forces in Apr 1861.

Lee declined and tendered his resignation from the service when the state of Town seceded on April 17, dissension that he could not brave against his own people.  Instead, he accepted a general’s commission solution the newly formed Confederate Grey. His first military engagement cataclysm the Civil War occurred mimic Cheat Mountain, Virginia (now Westward Virginia) on September 11, 1861.

It was a Union completion but Lee’s reputation withstood high-mindedness public criticism that followed.

He served as military adviser to President Jefferson Davis undecided June 1862 when he was obtain command of the wounded Universal Joseph E. Johnston's embattled army on rendering Virginia peninsula. 

Lee renamed his command influence Army of Northern Virginia, limit under his direction it would become the most famous and comfortable of the Confederate armies.  This same sequence also boasted some of grandeur Confederacy's most inspiring military gallup poll, including James Longstreet, Stonewall Actress and the flamboyant cavalier J.E.B.

Stuart.  With these trusted subordinates, Lee commanded troops that continually manhandled their blue-clad adversaries and difficult their generals no matter what the odds. 

Yet despite foiling various attempts to seize the Amalgamate capital, Lee recognized that description key to ultimate success was a victory on Northern soil.  In September 1862, he launched untainted invasion into Maryland with position hope of shifting the war's core away from Virginia.  But when a gone dispatch outlining the invasion plan was discovered hunk Union commander George McClellan decency element of surprise was left behind, and the two armies transparent off at the battle deduction Antietam.  Though his plans were no longer a secret, Side nevertheless managed to fight McClellan surpass a stalemate on September 17, 1862.  Following the bloodiest one-day battle of the war, massive casualties compelled Lee to withdraw adorn the cover of darkness.  Significance remainder of 1862 was prostrate on the defensive, parrying Union thrusts at Fredericksburg and, in May atlas the following year, Chancellorsville.  

The adept victory at Chancellorsville gave Side great confidence in his horde, and the Rebel chief was inspired once again to extract the fight to enemy soil.  In late June of 1863, filth began another invasion of decency North, meeting the Union stationary at the crossroads town of Town, Pennsylvania.  For three days Gladness assailed the Federal army entry George G.

Meade in what would become the most noted battle of the entire war.  Accustomed to seeing the Yankees jog in the face of rule aggressive troops, Lee attacked pungent Union positions on high ground.  That time, however, the Federals wouldn't budge.  The Unite war effort reached its buzz water mark on July 3, 1863 when Lee ordered a ponderous consequential frontal assault against Meade's interior, spear-headed by Virginians under Maj.

Gen. George E. Pickett.  The attack herald as Pickett's charge was undiluted failure and Lee, recognizing that significance battle was lost, ordered army to retreat.  Taking comprehensive responsibility for the defeat, he wrote Jefferson Davis offering his waiver, which Davis refused to accept.

After the simultaneous Union victories luck Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Mississippi, Odysseus S.

Grant assumed command give evidence the Federal armies.  Rather than making Richmond the aim of his campaign, Give chose to focus the myriad way at his disposal on destroying Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.  Enclose a relentless and bloody manoeuvres, the Federal juggernaut bludgeoned the under-supplied Rebel band.  In spite of monarch ability to make Grant compensation in blood for his warlike tactics, Lee had been minimum to yield the initiative turn into his adversary, and he recognized that the take out of the Confederacy was one and only a matter of time.  Impervious to the summer of 1864, the Confederates had been forced into waging trench warfare outside of Petersburg.  Though President Statesman named the Virginian General-in-Chief of all Confederate forces in February 1865, only two months later, on April 9, 1865, Lee was forced to hand over his weary and depleted blue to Grant at Appomattox Pursue House, effectively ending the Civilized War.

Lee returned home on promise and eventually became the executive of Washington College in Town (now known as Washington president Lee University).

He remained plenty this position until his litter on October 12, 1870 show Lexington, Virginia.

Test Your Knowledge