LETTERS TO HIS FAMILY
BY ROBERT E. LEE
Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) was the son of the great
Revolutionary war hero Harry “Light Horse” Lee. Lee
followed this path of military greatness as West Point’s
most outstanding graduate of his class. He
distinguished himself in service during the Mexican-
American War and served as Superintendent of the
United States Military Academy. Originally, Lee was
offered a position of senior leadership in the Union
army, but he chose to follow secession when Virginia,
his home state, seceded from the Union.