robert e. lee Essay - 1101 Words

Robert E. Lee, who was considered to be the greatest soldier fighting for the Confederate States of America, descended from a long line of famous heroes. Many of Lees ancestors played important roles in Americas history. His father was a Revolutionary War hero and a friend of George Washington. He was often referred to as Light Horse Harry Lee. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia. Lee always admired Washington, and was his hero as a youngster. Young Lee decided to become a soldier, partly because of the military tradition of his family. Lee enrolled in West Point Military Academy and graduated 2nd in his class in 1829. Lee majored in military engineering and supervised several army projects, he was named Second†¦show more content†¦Although Lee was a full colonel, he had no troops. Finally the confederacys president, Jefferson Davis, sent him to stop Union foes coming in from Western Virginia. He failed and was reassigned to building coastal fortifications in South Carolina and Georgia. Lee was called back to Richmond in 1862 and appointed by president Jefferson Davis to be the chief commander of all Confederate forces. Although his name sounded powerful, it was actually very pathetic. President Davis took the matters into his own hands, and only allowed Lee to interfere in small decisions of the war. Soon after Lee was appointed, a large Union force had approached the gates of Richmond, and he was sent to stop the penetration of union forces. Lee arrived in Richmond in June of 1862. The Union army was under the command of General McClellan, and was only a few miles away from the city along the Chick hominy River. Lee had decided to destroy the smaller group of union forces guarding the north side of the river, and push the rest back from there. Lee also took a great risk by only leaving a small portion of his army guarding the gates of the city. Anyway, Lee was successful in pushing the union forces back 25 miles in the next 7 days. The union government retreated General McClellans forces back up to Northern Virginia where they will regroup with General Popes forces. Lee, receiving word of this plan, hurried his forces toShow MoreRelatedThe Life of Robert E Lee701 Words   |  3 Pagesunderstand. This is not the case with Robert E. Lee. He was smart, loyal and above all, complicated. We like to make him out as some old general guy who fought for the South in the Civil War. Eventually lost at Gettysburg and because it was the turning point of the Civil War; he became famous for losing. He is a lot more than just that. He was an actual person who, from his birth up to his death, dealt with real life situations. On January 19, 1807, Robert E. Lee was born in Stratford, VirginiaRead MoreRobert E. Lee Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesRobert E. Lee Throughout history, there have been people whose names and faces have become synonymous with the time periods in which they lived. For example, Julius Caesar is synonymous with the late Roman Republic and George Washington is synonymous with the American Revolution. Just like these two men, the name Robert E. Lee has become synonymous with the American Civil War. Not only did Lee rise to become the most important and recognizable person in the Southern Confederacy, but hisRead MoreEssay Robert E. Lee1013 Words   |  5 PagesThe person I am writing my report on is Robert E. Lee. Born January 19, 1807. He was born in Stanford, Westmoreland Country, Virginia. He was the son of Revolutionary general, Henry Lee, Or Light-Horse Harry. He enrolled in the United States Military Academy in 1825 and became the first cadet to rank Sergent at the end of the year. In 1829, when he graduated at the top of his class in artillery and tactics. He also shared the distinction with five different cadets without any demerits duringRead More Robert E. Lee Essay3612 Words   |  15 Pages Robert E. Lee Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Few episodes in history are more painful to Americans than the Civil War, fought between the North and the South. This biography, Great American Generals - Robert E. Lee, by Ian Hogg, takes the reader through the life of one of the greatest heroes of that war, Robert E. Lee. It is a thorough, in depth record of the life of Lee and begins with a detailed account of his family history and his birth, through his college years, military experience and hisRead MoreThe Life and Career of Robert E. Lee1072 Words   |  4 PagesRobert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia. When he joined West Point, he graduated second in his class and had a demerit free record (Pryor). After he graduated from West Point, he enrolled into the Army in the Mexican American War. Once the Civil War came across America, Lee took the position as a general for the Confederacy. He proved to be a worthy general by winning the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Seven Days BattleRead MoreGeorge Mcclellan And Robert E. Lee1481 Words   |  6 PagesGeorge McClellan and Robert E. Lee, it is evident that their opinions and strategies differed greatly. While Grant considered himself part of the army, Lee separated himself as a ruling commander. Grant’s humble nature and vast knowledge on war technique also made him a more efficient leader, compared to the egotistical George McClellan, another commander of the Union army. Ultimately, Grant and the union army won the war, because of Gra nt’s hands-on leaderships skills, while Lee lacked confidence inRead MoreEssay on The Life of Robert E. Lee667 Words   |  3 PagesThe Life of Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19th, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia. Roberts father was thrown in debtors jail many times for not paying on time. He was introduced to war early in his life; his brother Sydney had shown him a cannon ball and told him about the revolution. Mrs. Lees stepson was old enough to claim the mansion where they lived that his dead mother had given to him in his will. The Lees left to live in Alexandria. Lee was brought up in a ChristianRead MoreRobert E. Lee s Life1237 Words   |  5 Pagesdiffering views on Robert E. Lee, which may be the reason so many historians find him intriguing, however, he still remains very much something of a mystery. Many earlier works, beginning in the late 19th and until the mid-20th century, Lee has often been portrayed as nearly saint-like, nearly clairvoyant with his defensive actions. Modern historiographies of Lee vary from the earlier works written as they seem to look more into the man, rather than the legend. Earlier biographies of Lee interpret himRead MoreRobert E Lee s Life1366 Words   |  6 Pages As Robert E. Lee said, â€Å"You cannot be a true man until you learn to obey.† This quote fits his life well as he worked his way up the chain to be the man and wonderful military leader he was. Robert started on the bottom and work his way all the way up to General. One of the bloodiest battles he was in was at Antietam as he was trying to gain Northern soil. Robert E Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Stratford Hall, Virginia. He was born to Henry â€Å"Light Horse Larry† Lee and Anne HillRead MoreTakng a Look at Robert E. Lee636 Words   |  3 PagesRobert Edward Lee was born January 19, 1807 at Stratford in Westmoreland County. Continuing in the military tradition of his father, in 1825 Lee entered West Point and graduated second in his class in 1829, without getting single demerit in his four years there. Serving several military positions in Georgia, Virginia, New York, Texas, and Mexico. Over the next 23 years, his reputation as a strong military leader increased in recognition and respectability, and in 1852 he was named superintendent