approach of Civil War in 1861 made
Lee—still a lieutenant colonel at the
start of the year—valuable to both
sides. He chose the South once Virginia
seceded, because his state allegiance
outweighed his loyalty to the Union.
His first experience of field command
ended in defeat in western Virginia and
he was hampered trying to defend the
coasts of Carolina and Georgia against
Union incursions.
Adviser and general
Despite these setbacks, Lee secured
the enduring respect of Confederate
president Jefferson Davis, who retained
him as his personal military adviser.
Using his engineering background,
Lee set Confederate troops to digging
extensive earthworks for the defense of
Richmond. But by spring 1862, he had
decided that the Confederates’ only
hope of success against a materially
superior enemy lay in taking the
offensive. Given command of the
Army of Northern Virginia after the
wounding of Joseph Johnston, Lee
attacked the inert General George
McClellan in the swift campaign
known as the Seven Days Battles.
Lee was still an inexperienced field
commander, but succeeded in driving
the Union forces away from Richmond.
After this, his reputation was largely
unassailable and he was able to pursue
his own aggressive strategy.
Victories and fatal mistakes
Lee repeatedly took risks and, supported
by his most gifted subordinate, Stonewall
Jackson, his bold maneuvers secured
outstanding offensive victories at
Second Bull Run and Chancellorsville.
Yet he came close to disaster through
dividing his forces in the ill-judged
invasion of Maryland in September
ROBERT E. LEE■ January 19, 1807 Born in Westmoreland
County, Virginia, son of Major General Henry Lee,
governor of Virginia. He is one of six children.
■ 1829 Graduating second in his class from
West Point, Lee chooses to serve in the Corps
of Engineers.
■ June 30, 1831 Marries his cousin Mary Custis,
daughter of the step-grandson of George
Washington; the couple lives at the Custis
mansion, Arlington House.
■ 1847–48 In the War with Mexico, Lee serves on
the staff of General Winfield Scott, distinguishing
himself at Cerro Gordo and Churubusco.
■ 1852 Appointed superintendent of West Point.
■ 1855 Transfers to the cavalry, serving as a
lieutenant colonel on the western frontier.
■ October 1859 On home leave, Lee commands
the successful assault on John Brown’s
abolitionists at the U.S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry.
■ March 1861 Promoted to colonel with
command of the U.S. First Cavalry.
■ April 1861 As the Civil War breaks out, Lee
rejects an invitation to command Union forces;
he resigns to offer his services to Virginia.
■ May 1861 Federal troops occupy Arlington
House; Lee is appointed a brigadier general in
the Confederate Army.TIMELINE
Surrendered general
Lee was photographed by Mathew Brady a week after
the surrender at Appomattox, flanked by his eldest son
Custis on the left and his aide Walter Taylor.
“So far from engaging in a war to
perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced
that slavery is abolished.”
STATEMENT BY LEE TO JOHN LEYBURN, MAY 1, 1870Interior of Lee’s field tent
Relics of Lee are treasured objects. Here his field tent is
preserved with his boots, saddle, and hat, along with his
mess chest, assorted plates, cutlery, and cooking utensils.- Lee’s decision not to retreat into
Virginia but to stand and fight with a
weary, outnumbered army at Antietam
was a gamble, and would have been
an opportunity for an opponent less
cautious than McClellan. Antietam
showed Lee’s skill and resolution in a
defensive battle and, with the success
that followed at Fredericksburg,
bolstered his belief in pursuing an
offensive-defensive strategy. But in
June 1863, Lee fatefully invaded
Pennsylvania. At Gettysburg, the
terrain was not in his favor and he
was reduced to ordering futile frontal
assaults. After Gettysburg Lee tried to
resign, but President Jefferson Davis
could not spare him. Forced onto the
defensive in the brutal campaigns
against Ulysses S. Grant in 1864 and
1865, he fought with tenacity and
tactical brilliance. When it became
futile to continue the struggle, he
surrendered with dignity at
Appomattox.
After the war, Lee was excluded from
the general amnesty. Arlington House
had been confiscated and was not
returned. Nevertheless, Lee never lost
his spirit of reconciliation. After his
death, his reputation continued to
grow, especially among Southern
admirers who idolized his memory.■ June 1–July 1, 1862 Takes command of the
Army of Northern Virginia and defeats the Union
Army of the Potomac in the Seven Days Battles.
■ August–September 1862 After a victory at
Second Bull Run on August 29–30, Lee invades
Maryland, but withdraws after his army narrowly
escapes destruction at Antietam (September 17).
■ December 1862–July 1863 After victories at
Fredericksburg (December 13,1862) and
Chancellorsville (May 2–4, 1863), Lee again
invades the North, but is decisively beaten at
Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863).
■ May–June 1864 Conducts desperate battles
at the Wilderness (May 5–7), Spotsylvania
(May 7–20), and Cold Harbor (3 June).
■ February 6, 1865 Appointed general-in-chief of
the Confederate Army, while remaining in
command of the Army of Northern Virginia.
■ April 9, 1865 Surrenders his army to Grant at
Appomattox Court House, Virginia.
■ August 1865 Accepts the post of president of
Washington College in Lexington, Virginia.
■ October 12, 1870 Dies, and is buried in the
Lee Chapel, which he had built, at Lexington.ARLINGTON HOUSE OCCUPIED BY UNION TROOPS