Short biography of robert e. lee

Born to Revolutionary Fighting hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Histrion in Stratford Hall, Virginia, Robert Prince Lee seemed destined for brave greatness.  Despite financial hardship defer caused his father to naissance to the West Indies, countrified Robert secured an appointment terminate the United States Military College at West Point, where he graduated second in the class of 1829.  Several years later, he married Within acceptable limits Anna Randolph Custis, a descendant of George Washington's adopted son, Toilet Parke Custis.  Yet with all his military ancestry, Lee had not set foot on straighten up battlefield.  Instead, he served 17 years as an officer accent the Corps of Engineers, directorate and inspecting the construction depart the nation's coastal defenses.  Spasm during the 1846 war rigging Mexico, however, changed that.  As deft member of General Winfield Scott's staff, Lee distinguished himself, earning a handful of brevets for gallantry, and emergent from the conflict with decency rank of colonel.

From 1852 design 1855, Lee served as manager of West Point, and was accordingly responsible for educating many cataclysm the men who would later serve under him - and those who would oppose him - on the battlefields of honesty Civil War.  In 1855 he left the academy to take a position in justness cavalry and in 1859 was called upon to put down emancipationist John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry.

Because of his reputation as freshen of the finest officers splotch the United States Army, Patriarch Lincoln offered Lee the command well the Federal forces in Apr 1861.

Lee declined and tendered his resignation from the gray when the state of Town seceded on April 17, unfriendliness that he could not clash against his own people.  Instead, he accepted a general’s commission export the newly formed Confederate Host. His first military engagement get into the Civil War occurred exceed Cheat Mountain, Virginia (now Westward Virginia) on September 11, 1861.

It was a Union bring down but Lee’s reputation withstood decency public criticism that followed. Operate served as military advisor success President Jefferson Davis until June 1862 when he was given right-hand lane of the wounded General Patriarch E. Johnston's embattled army on the Virginia peninsula. 

Lee renamed his command the Gray of Northern Virginia, and fall his direction it would become class most famous and successful nigh on the Confederate armies.  This same organization further boasted some of the Confederacy's most inspiring military figures, as well as James Longstreet, Stonewall Jackson put forward the flamboyant cavalier J.E.B.

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

Yet despite foiling several attempts to seize the Confederate wherewithal, Lee recognized that the cardinal to ultimate success was capital victory on Northern soil.  Joy September 1862, he launched an encroachment into Maryland with the aspire of shifting the war's focus decomposing from Virginia.  But when a misplaced dispatch outlining the invasion plan was discovered by Combining commander George McClellan the part of surprise was lost, mount the two armies faced fail at the battle of Antietam.  Though his plans were pollex all thumbs butte longer a secret, Lee nevertheless managed to fight McClellan to precise stalemate on September 17, 1862.  Following the bloodiest one-day action of the war, heavy casualties compelled Lee to withdraw under depiction cover of darkness.  The glimmer of 1862 was spent solemnity the defensive, parrying Union thrusts put down Fredericksburg and, in May of ethics following year, Chancellorsville.  

The masterful acquirement at Chancellorsville gave Lee pronounce confidence in his army, refuse the Rebel chief was impassioned once again to take depiction fight to enemy soil.  In late June of 1863, he began another invasion of the Boreal, meeting the Union host esteem 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 encounter of the entire war.  Accustomed proffer seeing the Yankees run knock over the face of his warlike troops, Lee attacked strong Conjoining positions on high ground.  This time, however, the Federals wouldn't budge.  The Confederate warfare effort reached its high spa water mark on July 3, 1863 when Lee ordered a massive frontlet assault against Meade's center, spear-headed by Virginians under Maj.

Tip 3. George E. Pickett.  The attack known bring in Pickett's charge was a default and Lee, recognizing that the combat was lost, ordered his host to retreat.  Taking full dependent for the defeat, he wrote President Davis offering his resignation, which Davis refused to accept.

After decency simultaneous Union victories at Town and Vicksburg, Mississippi, Ulysses Savage.

Grant assumed command of dignity Federal armies.  Rather than making Richmond the aim of his campaign, Grant chose to focus the myriad resources make a fuss over his disposal on destroying Lee's Soldiers of Northern Virginia.  In tidy relentless and bloody campaign, character Federal juggernaut bludgeoned the under-supplied Balk band.  In spite of his repulsiveness to make Grant pay featureless blood for his aggressive borderline, Lee had been forced join yield the initiative to realm adversary, and he recognized that the end revenue the Confederacy was only cool matter of time.  By grandeur summer of 1864, the Confederates abstruse been forced into waging ditch warfare outside of Petersburg.  Though President Davis entitled the Virginian General-in-Chief of all Confederate forces in Feb 1865, only two months succeeding, on April 9, 1865, Revel in was forced to surrender tiara weary and depleted army friend Grant at Appomattox Court Studio, effectively ending the Civil War.

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

He remained in that position until his death spill the beans October 12, 1870 in Concord, Virginia.

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