Robert E. Lee Biography
Born as | Robert Edward Lee |
Occup. | General |
From | USA |
Spouse | Mary Anna Custis Lee |
Born | January 19, 1807 Stratford, Virginia, USA |
Died | October 12, 1870 Lexington, Virginia, USA |
Cause | Heart failure |
Aged | 63 years |
Early Life
Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Virginia, USA. He was the 5th kid of Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee as well as Ann Hill Carter Lee. His dad's army service in the American Revolution gained him recognition and respect, however additionally left the family members with serious economic problems.
Robert Lee's youth was noted by the financial problems faced by his family members. Therefore, he grew up mainly at the house of his maternal grandparents in Alexandria, Virginia. Despite these difficulties, Lee got a great education in numerous colleges and also was known for his intelligence and resolution.
In 1825, Lee acquired a consultation to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He excelled academically and graduated in 1829, 2nd in his course. Upon graduation, he was appointed as a 2nd lieutenant in the respected Corps of Engineers.
Army Career and Marriage
Throughout the 1830s and also 1840s, Lee served in different engineering projects in Georgia, Virginia, and New York. He wed Mary Anna Randolph Custis, a descendant of
George Washington's family, in 1831. With each other, they had 7 kids.
The break out of the Mexican-American War in 1846 offered Lee with the chance to display his army skills. He offered with distinction as a designer in General Winfield Scott's army during the project, joining a number of vital fights like Cerro Gordo, Contreras, as well as Churubusco. His performance throughout the battle earned him promo to the rank of significant.
In the 1850s, after serving a brief stint as the superintendent of the West Point Military Academy, Lee took various army projects in Texas as well as Missouri. In 1859, he returned to Virginia and was involved in suppressing John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry.
American Civil War
In 1861, tensions in between the Northern and also Southern states intensified, finishing in the American Civil War. Lee was at first used command of the Union Army. Nonetheless, he decreased as a result of his loyalty to his residence state of Virginia, which had actually seceded from the Union. Rather, Lee joined the Confederate Army and was rapidly assigned as a military advisor to Confederate President
Jefferson Davis.
In 1862, Lee thought command of the Army of Northern Virginia, a placement he would hold for the rest of the battle. He emerged as a great armed forces tactician, utilizing innovative approaches to win numerous important fights, significantly the Seven Days' Battles, Second Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Chancellorsville, and Battle of Fredericksburg.
Nevertheless, Lee's biggest obstacle came during the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. In spite of some initial successes, his army inevitably experienced a costly loss that marked a transforming point in the war. After that, Union forces progressively acquired the edge, ultimately leading to Lee's surrender to Union General
Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
Postwar Years and Death
Adhering to the war, Lee came to be a symbol of the South's "Lost Cause" and sought to promote reconciliation in between the North and South. In 1865, he became head of state of Washington College (currently Washington and also Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia. He functioned to transform the college into a leading school, bring in pupils from both the North and the South.
On October 12, 1870, Lee died at the age of 63 from the effects of a stroke he had actually endured two weeks previously. He was hidden below the church of Washington as well as Lee University.
In the years following his fatality, Lee has actually been commonly celebrated as a hero in the South for his armed forces prowess as well as his role in the Confederacy. However, his tradition has actually ended up being progressively controversial in the last few years as a result of his support of enslavement as well as the Confederate cause. In spite of these arguments, Robert E. Lee continues to be a vital number in American history.
Our collection contains 27 quotes who is written / told by Robert, under the main topic
War.
Related authors: Elmer G. Letterman (General), Jefferson Davis (President), Ulysses S. Grant (President), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), George Washington (President)
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