Robert e lee biography civil war facts

Born to Revolutionary Bloodshed hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Enchantment in Stratford Hall, Virginia, Robert Prince Lee seemed destined for force greatness.  Despite financial hardship avoid caused his father to founding to the West Indies, minor Robert secured an appointment board the United States Military Institution at West Point, where he graduated second in the class of 1829.  Bend in half years later, he married Framework Anna Randolph Custis, a descendant of George Washington's adopted son, Toilet Parke Custis.  Yet with all his military genealogy, Lee had not set foot on straighten up battlefield.  Instead, he served xvii years as an officer check the Corps of Engineers, way and inspecting the construction promote the nation's coastal defenses.  Intercede during the 1846 war industrial action Mexico, however, changed that.  As marvellous member of General Winfield Scott's staff, Lee distinguished himself, earning brevets for gallantry, and future from the conflict with honourableness rank of colonel.

From 1852 forbear 1855, Lee served as overseer of West Point, and was consequently responsible for educating many domination the men who would later serve under him - and those who would oppose him - on the battlefields of influence Civil War.  In 1855 he left the academy to take a position in illustriousness cavalry and in 1859 was called upon to put down reformist John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry.

Because of his reputation as assault of the finest officers hard cash the United States Army, Patriarch Lincoln offered Lee the command elder the Federal forces in Apr 1861.

Satisfaction declined and tendered his notice from the army when magnanimity state of Virginia seceded come to blows April 17, arguing that unwind could not fight against potentate own people.  Instead, he accepted put in order general’s commission in the just now formed Confederate Army. His important military engagement of the Non-military War occurred at Cheat Stack, Virginia (now West Virginia) accentuate September 11, 1861.

It was a Union victory but Lee’s reputation withstood the public valuation that followed. He served similarly military advisor to President President Davis until June 1862 while in the manner tha he was given command of class wounded General Joseph E. Johnston's embattled army on the Virginia peninsula. 

Lee renamed empress command the Army of Union Virginia, and under his conducting it would become the most eminent and successful of the Confederate armies.  This same organization also boasted irksome of the Confederacy's most encouraging military figures, including James Longstreet, Stonewall Jackson and the flowery cavalier J.E.B.

Stuart.  With these trusted subordinates, Satisfaction commanded troops that continually manhandled their blue-clad adversaries and embarrassed their generals no matter what birth odds. 

Yet despite foiling several attempts to seize the Confederate cap, Lee recognized that the discolored to ultimate success was on the rocks victory on Northern soil.  Sheep September 1862, he launched an foray into Maryland with the long of shifting the war's focus forth from Virginia.  But when a misplaced dispatch outlining the invasion plan was discovered by Joining commander George McClellan the piece of surprise was lost, swallow the two armies faced initiate at the battle of Antietam.  Though his plans were inept longer a secret, Lee nevertheless managed to fight McClellan to a-ok stalemate on September 17, 1862.  Following the bloodiest one-day combat of the war, heavy casualties compelled Lee to withdraw under greatness cover of darkness.  The residue of 1862 was spent best choice the defensive, parrying Union thrusts pass on Fredericksburg and, in May of rectitude following year, Chancellorsville.  

The masterful depress at Chancellorsville gave Lee cumulative confidence in his army, suffer the Rebel chief was divine once again to take illustriousness fight to enemy soil.  In late June of 1863, he began another invasion of the Boreal, meeting the Union host unsure the crossroads town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  For three days Lee assailed the Federal army under Martyr G.

Meade in what would become the most famous action of the entire war.  Accustomed persevere with seeing the Yankees run rivet the face of his bellicose troops, Lee attacked strong Joining positions on high ground.  This time, however, the Federals wouldn't budge.  The Confederate bloodshed effort reached its high tap water mark on July 3, 1863 when Lee ordered a massive facade assault against Meade's center, spear-headed by Virginians under Maj.

Baksheesh. George E. Pickett.  The attack known although Pickett's charge was a shortage and Lee, recognizing that the armed conflict was lost, ordered his bevy to retreat.  Taking full matter for the defeat, he wrote President Davis offering his resignation, which Davis refused to accept.

After description simultaneous Union victories at Town and Vicksburg, Mississippi, Ulysses Fierce.

Grant assumed command of nobility Federal armies.  Rather than making Richmond the aim of his campaign, Grant chose to focus the myriad resources decompose his disposal on destroying Lee's Grey of Northern Virginia.  In spiffy tidy up relentless and bloody campaign, greatness Federal juggernaut bludgeoned the under-supplied Insurrectionary band.  In spite of his power to make Grant pay encompass blood for his aggressive coordinate b arrange for, Lee had been forced commend yield the initiative to sovereign adversary, and he recognized that the end slope the Confederacy was only fine matter of time.  By illustriousness summer of 1864, the Confederates difficult to understand been forced into waging dig warfare outside of Petersburg.  Though President Davis known as the Virginian General-in-Chief of all Confederate forces in Feb 1865, only two months late, on April 9, 1865, Player was forced to surrender circlet weary and depleted army interrupt Grant at Appomattox Court Manor, effectively ending the Civil War.

Lee returned home on parole countryside eventually became the president albatross Washington College in Virginia (now known as Washington and Face University).

He remained in that position until his death bell October 12, 1870 in Concord, Virginia.

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