Difference between revisions of "Robert E. Lee"
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| − | '''Robert | + | '''Robert E. Lee''', was a career officer in the United States Army before resigning his commission at the outbreak of the American Civil War and joining the Confederacy, where he commanded of the Army of Northern Virginia to great effect. His surrender on April 9, 1865 is generally marked as the effective end of that conflict. |
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| + | ==Early life== | ||
| + | He was born Robert Edward Lee in Stratford, Westmoreland County, Virginia, the fourth child of Colonel Henry Lee III ("Light Horse" Harry Lee) and Ann Hill Carter. His family had produced many prominent figures in American history (among them was Richard Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence), and Lee's father had been George Washington's favorite cavalry leader during the American Revolution as well as governor of Virginia; indeed, it was Henry Lee who delived the famous eulogy at Washington's funeral. Robert would continue relations with the Washington family by marrying a distant cousin, Mary Anne Randolph Custis, the great granddaughter of Martha Washington and heiress to several plantations. | ||
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| + | Henry Lee unfortunately was a spendthrift, squandering his wealth in land speculating schemes, eventually losing the Stratford home. By the time Robert turned 11, Henry had died, leaving Ann with seven children to take care of with little more than an aristocratic name. Robert was already close to his mother, and from her he learned strength of character, high moral priciples, and the ability to pinch what little money they had. This led to him excelling at whatever task came his way. | ||
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| + | ==West Point== | ||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
Revision as of 23:33, April 7, 2007
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| Civil War Biography | |
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| Born | January 19, 1807 |
| Died | October 12, 1870 |
Robert E. Lee, was a career officer in the United States Army before resigning his commission at the outbreak of the American Civil War and joining the Confederacy, where he commanded of the Army of Northern Virginia to great effect. His surrender on April 9, 1865 is generally marked as the effective end of that conflict.
Early life
He was born Robert Edward Lee in Stratford, Westmoreland County, Virginia, the fourth child of Colonel Henry Lee III ("Light Horse" Harry Lee) and Ann Hill Carter. His family had produced many prominent figures in American history (among them was Richard Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence), and Lee's father had been George Washington's favorite cavalry leader during the American Revolution as well as governor of Virginia; indeed, it was Henry Lee who delived the famous eulogy at Washington's funeral. Robert would continue relations with the Washington family by marrying a distant cousin, Mary Anne Randolph Custis, the great granddaughter of Martha Washington and heiress to several plantations.
Henry Lee unfortunately was a spendthrift, squandering his wealth in land speculating schemes, eventually losing the Stratford home. By the time Robert turned 11, Henry had died, leaving Ann with seven children to take care of with little more than an aristocratic name. Robert was already close to his mother, and from her he learned strength of character, high moral priciples, and the ability to pinch what little money they had. This led to him excelling at whatever task came his way.
West Point
Further reading
- Freeman, Douglas Southall. Lee, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, (1935)
- Lee, Robert Edward, Jr. Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee, Konecky & Konecky, New York (1992)
- Nagel, Paul C. The Lees of Virginia, Oxford University Press, New York & London (1990)
- Nolan, Alan T. Lee Considered, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC (1991)
- Smith, Eugene O. Lee and Grant: a Dual Biography, McGraw-Hill, New York (1991)
