Robert E. Lee summary: Confederate General Robert E. Lee is perhaps the most iconic and most widely respected of all Civil War commanders. Born to Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee in Stratford Hall, Virginia, Robert Edward Lee seemed destined for military greatness. Greg Tilson's succinct response is correct, but I think this subject is fascinating enough and controversial enough to justify some additional details. He is known for his tactical success, his brilliance and devotion to duty. Lee commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia Credit: Getty - Contributor. Though he opposed secession, he resigned from the U.S. Army to join the forces of his native state, rose to command the largest Confederate army and ultimately was named general-in-chief of all Confederate land forces. Robert E. Lee was the most successful Confederate military leader during the American Civil War (1861–1865). This also made him, by virtue of the Confederacy's defense of chattel slavery, the most successful defender of the enslavement of African Americans . Robert E. Lee was the leading Confederate general during the U.S. Civil War and has been venerated as a heroic figure in the American South.
Ann Carter Lee itemized the slaves she bequeathed to her daughter, Ann Kinloch Lee, but the only designation of property to her youngest son was a vague division of "the remainder of my estate" among Robert and his two older brothers, Charles Carter Lee and Sidney Smith Lee. “Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee”, p.97, Lulu.com 287 Copy quote With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. Despite financial hardship that caused his father to depart to the West Indies, young Robert secured an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated … There is a myth that Lee freed his slaves before the war. January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870. In February 1865 he was given command of all the Southern armies. Robert E. Lee, in full Robert Edward Lee, (born January 19, 1807, Stratford, Westmoreland county, Virginia, U.S.—died October 12, 1870, Lexington, Virginia), Confederate general, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, the most successful of the Southern armies during the American Civil War (1861–65). Confederate Army Gen. Robert E. Lee was vilified during the Civil War only to become a heroic symbol of the South's "Lost Cause" — and eventually a racist icon. DATE OF BIRTH - DEATH. According to the Robert E Lee biography, he is globally known for being the general of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War.
He was famously defeated at the pivotal battle at Gettysburg in 1863 by Union Major General George Meade. His supporters revered him because he was a strong leader and had a sharp mind, which he utilized to the best of his capability.