Robert Lee Essay Research Paper Robert Edward

Robert Lee Essay, Research PaperRobert Edward Lee is considered one of the greatest generals in the history ofthe United States. Lee was opposed to many positions of the South, includingsequence and bondage, yet his trueness to his native province of Virginia forcedhim to contend for the South and garbage bid of the Union ground forcess during theCivil War. Because of this, he was respected by every adult male in America includingAbraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

Robert Edward Lee was born to parents,Henry Lee of Leesylvania, and mother Ann Hill Carter of Shirley, in StratfordHallway near Montross, Virginia, on January 19, 1807. He grew up with a great lovefor state life and his province, which would be instilled in him for the remainderof his life. He was a really serious male child and spent many hours in his male parent & # 8217 ; slibrary reading as many books as he could acquire his custodies on. He loved to playwith his friends, swim and Hunt. Lee looked up to his male parent and ever wantedto cognize what he was making. George Washington and his male parent, “ Light-HorseHarry Lee, ” were his two heroes and he wanted to be merely like them when hegrew up. In 1811 the Lee household moved to a larger place in Alexandria, Virginia.The following twelvemonth his male parent received hurts in a Baltimore public violence from which hene’er to the full recovered and that besides caused his departure of Alexandria for aheater clime.

He died six old ages subsequently at Cumberland Island, Georgia whenRobert was merely 12. Robert was forced to go the adult male of the household and caredfor his female parent and sisters because his male parent and senior brothers had left.Robert would stuff documents to barricade clefts in the passenger car and travel driving to assisthis female parent acquire out during her failing wellness. Old ages subsequently, when Robert left forWest Point, Ann Lee wrote to a cousin, “ How will I of all time acquire on with outRobert, he is both a boy and a girl ” ( www.stratfordhall.org/rel.htm1 ) . In 1825, at the age of 18, Lee entered the United States Military Academy atWest Point where his schoolmates admired him for his glare, leading, andlove for his work.

West Point was non his first pick for a school, but at that placewas no money left to direct him to Harvard because his older brother, CharlesCarter, had used it for his ain surveies at Harvard. He graduated from theacademy with high awards in 1829 and was ranked as Second Lieutenant in theCorps of Engineers at the age of 21. He headed for place at the age of 22 with$ 103.58 ( Thomas 54 ) . Lee served for 17 months at Fort Pulaski on CockspurIsland, Georgia. In 1831 the ground forces transferred Lee to Fort Monroe, Virginia, ashelper applied scientist. While he was stationed at that place, he married Mary Anna RandolphCustis, Martha Washington & # 8217 ; s great-granddaughter.

They lived in her household placein Arlington on a hill overlooking Washington D. C.. They had seven kids,three boies and four girls. On September 16, 1832, Mary gave birth to GeorgeWashington Custis Lee. Subsequently in 1835 they had their 2nd kid, Mary Curtis.

They had five more kids, William Henry Fitzgerald, Annie, Agnes, Robert andMildred. Lee served as an helper in the head applied scientist & # 8217 ; s office in Washingtonfrom 1834 to 1837 and spent the summer of 1835 assisting to put out the boundaryline between Ohio and Michigan. In 1837 he got his first of import occupation as aFirst Lieutenant of applied scientists. He supervised the technology work for St.

Louisseaport and for the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers. His work at that place earnedhim a publicity to Captain. In 1841 he was transferred to Fort Hamilton in NewYork seaport, where he took charge of edifice munitions. When war broke outbetween the United States and Mexico in 1846, the ground forces sent Lee to Texas toservice as adjunct applied scientist under General John E. Wool. All his superiorofficers, including General Winfield Scott, were impressed with Lee. Early inthe war, Lee supervised the building of Bridgess for Wool & # 8217 ; s March toward theMexican boundary line.

He so did first-class work on reconnoitering trips. Lee subsequently wasassisting General Winfield Scott program a great conflict. The Army was about to assailVera Cruz, a big Mexican town on the sea. Soldiers fired immense guns at thewalls of Vera Cruz. One of the work forces at the guns happened to be Robert & # 8217 ; s brother,Smith Lee. When he could, Lee went to stand by his brother & # 8217 ; s gun.

“ I couldsee his white dentitions through all the fume of the fire ” Lee said, in amissive to Mary. The Mexicans shortly gave up Vera Cruz. General Scott thanked Leefor his work. Now the Army could travel on to the Mexican capital.

The March toMexico City would be difficult for the ground forces. General Scott asked Lee to happen the bestmanner to travel and asked him to see what Santa Anna, the Mexican general, was making.To acquire intelligence for Scott, Lee went behind the lines of enemy soldiers. This wasunsafe work. Once when Lee was behind enemy lines he heard voices. Mexicansoldiers were coming to imbibe at a spring.

Lee jumped under a log while moreMexicans came. They sat on the log and talked, so Lee had to conceal at that place untildark ( Thomas 125 ) . At Cerro Gordo he led the first line of work forces into conflict. TheAmericans won. Lee so wrote to his boy, Custis, “ You have no thought what aatrocious sight a field of conflict is.

” Then came the biggest conflict of thewar. The Americans attacked a garrison outside Mexico City. Lee planned the onslaughtand for yearss he worked without slumber. He found out where the Mexican soldierswere. He knew where to set the large guns which made it easier for the Army totake the garrison. The American Army marched right into Mexico City. The war was nowofficially over. Lee & # 8217 ; s technology accomplishment made it possible for American military personnels tocross the hard mountain base on ballss on the manner to the capital.

During the Marchto Mexico City, Lee was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel. Scott said thathis “ success in Mexico was mostly due to the accomplishment, heroism, and undauntedbravery of Robert E. Lee & # 8230 ; the greatest military mastermind in America ” ( Thomas125-128 ) . After three old ages at Fort Carrol in Baltimore seaport, Lee became theoverseer of West Point in 1852. He would hold preferred responsibility in the fieldalternatively of at a desk, but he worked at his station without ailment.

During histhree old ages at West Point, he improved the edifices, classs, and spent a batchof clip with the plebes. There was one plebe, Jeb Stuart, who subsequently served asone of Lee & # 8217 ; s best horse officers. Lee earned a really good repute during hisservice at that place as a just and sort overseer. In 1855, Lee became aLieutenant Colonel of Cavalry and was assigned to duty on the Texas frontier.There he helped protect colonists from onslaughts by the Apache and ComancheIndians.

Once once more he proved to be an first-class soldier and organiser. Butthese were non happy old ages for Lee. He did non like to be off from his householdfor long periods of clip, largely because of his married woman who was going weaker andweaker every minute. Lee came place to see her every bit frequently as possible. He happenedto be in Washington at the clip of John Brown & # 8217 ; s foray on Harpers Ferry in 1859,and was sent at that place to collar Brown and reconstruct order. He did this really rapidlyand returned to his regiment in Texas. When Texas seceded from the Union in1861,Lee was called to Washington D.C.

to wait for farther orders( hypertext transfer protocol: //darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter2/relee.html 1 ) Unlike manySoutherners, Lee did non believe in bondage and did non prefer sezession.

He feltthat bondage had an evil consequence on Masterss every bit good as slaves. Long before thewar he had freed the few slaves whom he had inherited. Lee greatly admiredGeorge Washington and hated the idea of a divided state. But he came to experiencethat his province was protecting the really liberty, freedom and legal rules forwhich Washington had fought. He was willing to go forth the brotherhood, as Washingtonhad left the British Empire, to contend what the South called a 2nd war ofindependency.

Lee had great trouble in make up one’s minding whether to stand by hisnative province or remain with the Union, even though Lincoln offered him the fieldbid of the United States Army. He wrote to his sister, ” & # 8230 ; in my ainindividual I had to run into the inquiry whether I should take portion against my nativeprovince. With all my devotedness to the Union, and the feeling of trueness and responsibility ofan American citizen, I had non been able to do up my head to raise my manusagainst my relations, my kids, my place. I have hence resigned mycommittee in the ground forces, and, save in defence of my native state- with thesincere hope that my hapless services may ne’er be needed- I hope I may ne’er becalled upon to pull my blade. ” Lee grieved at separating from the friends whomhe had served with in other wars. He served in Richmond, Virginia, as militaryadvisor to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and in May, 1861 was appointeda full general. In the autumn, he succeeded in holding a threatened invasion fromwestern Virginia. Subsequently, he took charge of protecting the seashore of SouthCarolina against invasion.

When Lee returned to Richmond in 1862, he helped pullup programs for the Confederate forces in Virginia, so under the bid ofGeneral Joseph E. Johnston. Johnston was wounded on May 31, 1862, in the Battleof Fair Oaks ( Thomas 225 ) . The following twenty-four hours, Lee took bid of Johnston & # 8217 ; s ground forces,which he called the Army of Northern Virginia. From his first twenty-four hours of bid,Lee faced what looked like an impossible undertaking.

Union General George B. McClellanhad approached within 7 stat mis of Richmond with 100,000 work forces. Three forces wereshutting in on the Confederate military personnels of General Stonewall Jackson in theShenandoah Valley of Virginia. A 4th Union force was camped on theRappahannock River, ready to help McClellan.

In the series of battles, knownas the Battle of the Seven Days, Lee forced McClellan to withdraw. This runtaught Lee the demand for simpler methods and organisation. Jackson had earlierconducted a superb run in the Shenandoah Valley, and became Lee & # 8217 ; s mosttrusted subsidiary.

Jackson was so devoted to Lee that he said he would followhim into a conflict blindfolded. With Jackson & # 8217 ; s assist, Lee won a major triumph overGeneral John Pope in the 2nd Battle of Bull Run, in August, 1862 ( Nolan 89 ) .He was so free to occupy Maryland.

Unfortunately, McClellan intercepted aconflict order which a Confederate staff officer had heedlessly lost. KnowingLee & # 8217 ; s program in progress, McClellan halted him in the Battle of Antietam( Sharpsburg ) . Lee returned to Virginia to reorganise his ground forces, General AmbroseE. Burnside so led an onslaught against Lee in December, 1862, at Fredericksburg,Virginia. Fog covered the battleground early in the forenoon before the conflictbegan. As it lifted and the Confederate bid saw 1000s of military personnels, Leeremarked, “ It is good that war is so terrible- we would turn excessively fond ofit. ” Lee & # 8217 ; s military personnels defeated the Union forces, but Lee could non takeadvantage of his triumph because the Northern military personnels had been excessively cleverlyplaced and could fall back without interrupting any of their lines of communicating.

Lee felt that his ground forces could non win the war by contending defensively, and thatit was excessively dearly-won merely to keep the enemy without destructing it, but foremost hehad to contend yet another defensive conflict ( Nagel 179 ) . General Joseph Hooker, whohad taken over from Burnside, attacked Lee at Chancellorsville in the Spring of1863. The Confederate forces won a great triumph, but they paid a atrocious monetary valuefor it. Stonewall Jackson unluckily died at that place. He was by chance shot byhis ain work forces when he went in front of his line of conflict to reconnoiter the Union military personnels.Determined to take the discourtesy, Lee moved into Pennsylvania and encountered theNorthern ground forces which was now under General George G.

Meade, at Gettysburg. Hardcontending continued for three yearss, from July 1-3, 1863. The Confederates mettheir licking in what proved to be a turning point of the war. Always generous tothose under him, Lee insisted on taking the incrimination for the failure of therun in which the United States suffered 55,000 casualties, doing it thebloodiest conflict in the history of the United States. In the Spring of 1864, Leeforemost faced General Ulysses S.

Grant. In a series of ferocious and really bloodyconflicts called the Wilderness Campaign, Grant pounded the ground forces of northernVirginia to pieces with this larger army cannons and guns. Lee held out for ninemonths in the besieging of Petersburg, but his tired hungry work forces eventually had toretreat. Early on in 1865, Lee was made General in Chief of all the Confederateground forcess. Richmond fell in April, 1865, and Lee & # 8217 ; s ragged ground forces retreated westward.Northern forces cut off and surrounded Lee & # 8217 ; s military personnels at Appomattox Court House,Virginia, where Lee surrendered to Grant, on April 9, 1865.

“ There isnil left to make, but to travel see General Grant, and I would instead decease a1000 deceases ” . Grant tried to do the resignation every bit easy as possible,and allowed the Confederate military personnels to take their Equus caballuss place for Spring ploughing.As Lee made his last sit down the lines on his celebrated Equus caballus Traveler, he toldhis ground forces, “ Work force, we have fought through the war together. I have done mybest for you ; my bosom is excessively full to state more. ” Lee & # 8217 ; s licking at AppomattoxCourt House, Virginia, marked the terminal of his superb military calling ( Nolan121 ) At the terminal of the Civil War Lee set an illustration for all of theEx-Confederate soldiers and officers, by his refusal non to demo resentment tothe Union.

“ Abandon your animuss, and do your boies Americans ” .He than set out to organize a lasting and stable brotherhood of theprovinces ( www.stratfordhall.org/rel.htm 2 ) . On June 13, 1865, Robert E. Lee appliedfor a forgiveness from the United States authorities.

When Robert returned to his placein Arlington, he found it had been turned into a national graveyard as penaltyto him for abandoning the Union and contending against them. Robert E. Lee thanapplied for citizenship to the United States. His citizenship documents weremisplaced and in 1975, a century subsequently, Robert E.

Lee was awarded citizenship inthe United States. Lee had worked indefatigably for a strong peace in the UnitedStates. On August 4, 1865, Robert was elected to President of WashingtonCollege, Lexington, Virginia. He hesitatingly accepted, and endeavor to fitpupils with the character and cognition necessary to reconstruct the war ravagedsouth. On February 4, 1867, Robert E. Lee declined to be a campaigner forgovernor of Virginia ( www.microd.

com/~aetic/theman.htm 3 ) . Then in 1870, RobertE.

Lee went to Georgia in hunt of good wellness. Sadly on October 12 Robert E.Lee died of bosom jobs in Lexington. After his decease, his name was joinedwith that of his womb-to-tomb hero, and Washington College became Washington and LeeUniversity.

5a5Thomas, Emory M. Robert E. Lee A Biography. New York: W.W. Norton & A ;Company, 1995. Nagel, Paul C.

The Lees of Virginia. New York: Oxford UniversityImperativeness, 1990. Nolan, Alan T. Lee Considered. Chapel Hill: The University of NorthCarolina Press, 1991. Saundra N.

“ Robert E. Lee ”hypertext transfer protocol: //darter.ocps.k12.fl.

us/classroom/who/darter2/relee.html ( 23 March 1999 )Robert E. Lee Memorial Association. “ Robert Edward Lee ” hypertext transfer protocol: //www.stratfordhall.org/rel.

htm( 23 March 1999 ) “ Robert E. Lee, Beloved General of the South ”www.microd.com/~aeric/theman.htm ( 23 March 1999 )