Born: 19 January 1807.
Died: 12 October 1870.
Robert E. Lee is one of America’s most beloved historical figures. The quintessential gentleman, he was admired by Union and Confederate forces alike, although he was most loyal to his state of Virginia. During the American Civil War, he won a series of Confederate victories against the Union, demonstrating his brilliance as a tactician and strategist. However, defeat at Gettysburg in 1863 forced Lee onto the defensive, and he was forced to surrender to Ulysses S. Grant two years later.
Historical Background
Robert Edward Lee was born on 19 January 1807 at Stratford Hall Plantation, Virginia, to parents Henry Lee and Ann Hill Lee. After his father died in 1818, Robert E. Lee attended the West Point Military Academy from 1825 to 1829, where he graduated at the top of his class and became a lieutenant of the Corps of Engineers. In 1831, he married Mary Anna Randolph Custis, from which they had seven children: George Washington Custis, Mary Custis, William Henry Fitzhugh, Anne Carter, Eleanor Anges, Robert Edward, and Mildred Childe. During the Mexican-American War (1846-48), he led American forces at the battles of Cerro Gordo and Churubsuco before returning to a quiet career as superintendent of West Point Academy from 1852 to 1855. When the American Civil War began in 1861, Lee chose to fight for the Confederates, scoring notable victories at Fredericksburg (1862) and Chancellorsville (1863). However, his two invasions of the Union led to defeats at Antietam (1862) and Gettysburg (1863), after which he fought a defensive campaign until surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant in 1865. After the war, Lee accepted a position at Washington College until his death on 12 October 1870, aged 63 years old.
Historical Influences
Robert E. Lee was influenced by Antoine Henri de Jomini, his relationship with women, and the issue of slavery. In 1838, the Swiss military theorist Atonine Henri de Jomini wrote The Art of War based on Carl von Clausewitz’s Principles of War. Lee used the theories described in the book to great effect at the battles of Manassas and Chancellorsville (1862-63) when he used a strategic front and turning movement to defeat two Union armies. In addition, when his wife was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her later years, Lee would spend time nursing and supporting her. In the words of Douglas Freeman, “The man who was to order Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg got part of his preparation for war nursing sick women” (Field, 2010, p.6). Despite fighting for the Confederacy, Lee was opposed to the issue of slavery, even though his family owned African-American slaves. In an 1856 letter to his wife, he said, “In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country” (Blount, 2003). Indeed, the primary reason Lee chose to fight for the Confederacy during the American Civil War was because of his loyalty to the state of Virginia, where he grew up.
Key Battle
Robert E. Lee’s signature battle was the Battle of Gettysburg (1863). On 1 July, Lee arrived at Gettysburg and found the Union pushed back by the Confederates to a ridge south of the town. After the arrival of reinforcements on 2 July, Lee rejected the idea of an outflanking manoeuvre in favour of a direct assault, which failed to dislodge the Union from the ridge. On 3 July, after a two-hour artillery barrage, Lee ordered 14,000 Confederate infantry under George Pickett to advance against the Union centre. However, all but 200 Confederate soldiers were killed by rifle and artillery fire, with the remainder easily repulsed by Union infantry. Despite some skirmishing on 4/5 July, the battle was effectively over, and Lee led his remaining forces south through Virginia.
Historical Significance
Robert E. Lee is widely regarded as one of the best military commanders in American history. In a sense, he was the nineteenth-century equivalent of Erwin Rommel: A brilliant, charismatic leader admired by both sides during their respective wars. As explained by Geoffrey Regan, “No general in the history of warfare has been more loved by friend and foe alike than Robert E. Lee. His death in 1870 was an event for national mourning” (Regan, 2002, p.163). On 29 May 1890, the Lee Monument was unveiled to a crowd of 150,000 people in Richmond, Virginia. Numerous historians, from James D. McCabe (1866) to Brian Holden Reid (2005), have written books about him. Part of Lee’s charisma stems from his capacity for self-control and modesty. In the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee took sole responsibility for the defeat and assured his men that they would regroup and fight another day. In the words of R.G. Grant, “Consistently calm and dignified, Lee held the trust and admiration of his troops even in defeat” (Grant, 2010, p.247).
Bibliography
Blount, Roy. “Making Sense of Robert E. Lee.” Smithsonian Magazine. July 2003.
Field, Ron. Robert E. Lee. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2010.
Grant, R.G. Commanders: History’s Greatest Military Leaders. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2010.
Regan, Geoffrey. Battles That Changed History: Fifty Decisive Battles Spanning Over 2,500 Years of Warfare. London, Andre Deutsch, 2002.
Vannerson, Julian. “Robert Edward Lee.” Wikimedia Commons. Last revised November 21, 2024. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Edward_Lee_(3x4_cropped).jpg
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