The Path to Leading Positions of Robert Edward Lee

In 1807 Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19th, in Stratford, Virginia. Lee was mainly known as being commander for the confederate army for the civil war. Some of the major wars Lee fought in was the civil war and the mexican war. He was a big part in both wars and was very well respected by everyone. He was raised by Anne Hill Carter and Henry Lee III, and was the youngest of seven boys. Robert’s father Henry, was an American cavalry officer in the American revolutionary war. Robert’s starting rank was as a general and was never actually a soldier. Lee once said, “to be a good soldier you must love the army, to be a good commander you must be willing to order the death of everything you love.” The next portion of the essay will be about the wars Lee took part in and the stats, and about his life before, during and after the civil war. It is also going to include his family and his views of the war. Next will be the childhood Lee had and who was in his life for him.

When Robert was born, his family had a lot of money and were very well known. Then soon after, Robert’s father henry, went broke and couldn't pay anything off. Henry was a major general and a former governor for virginia, he was best known as Light-Horse Harry. Henry and Anne had seven children together. Robert was only four when he could no longer live in a big house. Henry lost fame and money, they decided to move to Alexandria. It was wasn't as bad as Robert imagined, he heard many stories of his dad, the revolutionary war, and mostly of Washington. Robert got real interested with the war from the stories, and he wanted a taste of it. Robert would go with his mother to see George Washington Custis new house (Arlington) next to the Potomac river. In the summer Robert would swim in the Potomac and hunt in the winter. Henry Lee and Alexander Hanson got in a fight, later to find a mob going to attack them. The military put Henry and Hanson in protected jail, and the mob broke through attacking Henry and Hanson with clubs and knives. Henry survived and was hurt badly. Henry shipped off to find where he could get away from warm weather and find peace. Henry would write to the family and also asked how Robert behaved. Robert always behaved well and did everything he was told. Robert’s father, Henry Lee, died in 1818 March 25th. Lee was the closest to his mother out of all the children. Robert was very influenced by his mother's strength of moral principles and of her character. Lee wanted to have an education but couldn't afford it, which brings me to my next point.

Lee was sent by his mother, to Alexandria academy. George Washington was one of the trustees, and William Leary drilled Lee in Greek, Latin, and in mathematics. This could have prepared Lee for college, but they didn't have enough money to afford it. So he signed up for the United States Military Academy at West Point, he was determined to go. The academy was a training institution for the united states military for commissioned officers. Lee was 17 years old when he got accepted to the camp, by getting to the requirements needed to join. Lee had a lot of recommendations from friends and teachers, he also got five from senators and three from congressman. The rules were strict and they had to follow them or they got kicked. Half of the class got kicked for bad grades or not following the rules. Colonel Thayer saw Lee as an engineer and Lee was named staff sergeant. He was asked to teach mathematics to other students, he stayed in the top three of the class or four years. Lee won the most prized academics distinctions, the position of Adjutant of the Corp. Corp adjunct is the highest rank a cadet can achieve, in 1829 Lee graduated second of his class. Lee was considered handsome and had combined sympathy, kindness, and dignity with good humor to win. Lee’s classmates knew him as the “marble model.” Joseph Johnston a confederate general who also graduated from West Point said,” Good friendship and command high respect.” Lee’s Native gifts and high aspiration produced a cadet and a future confederate general to be what Johnston called a natural superiority. Lee went straight home to virginia, before he had to do his duties. Anna was in bed laying to the point of death, she had not lived a happy life. She suffered from sickness and poverty and was alone. Anne died June 26, 1829, she saw all her boys successful grow up. My next point is how Lee got so respected and who was he.

Lee fell in love with Mary Anna Custis, and Mary’s father accepted Lee. Since Custis wanted his daughter happy, he let Lee marry Mary. Lee was sent to Georgia for some hard labor, that wasn't worth it. Then got stationed back to his hometown in Virginia. Lee knew more about Washington than his own father, him and Mary were happily married. In June, the last day of the month Robert married Mary. Smith Lee, Roberts brother got a furlough from the navy to be Roberts best man. Lee was respected because one brother was in the navy and his other brother was a lawyer. Most of his family was successful and others have passed, which inspired Lee to carry out his family's name. Lee had seven children with Mary, the family name was growing rapidly. The first child was George Washington Custis and was called just Custis, then the daughter Mary. After Mary, it was William Fitzhugh or called Rooney. Then Anne, Agnes, and Robert Edward and finally Mildred. “A cruel thing war is; to separate and destroy and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.” Said Robert. Lee’s first hands on war was at Mexico, which leads to my next paragraph.

The Lee family went to buy furniture and traveled on a steam boat. On the way to St. Louis where Lee was stationed, the steamboat left without them and it blew up. Lee’s first time to show off his engineering skills, was at St. Louis, Missouri for being the greatest city in the West. Lee helped move waterways through the mississippi, and it was a great accomplishment. In 1846 war was declared upon Mexico, and Lee became captain for the work in Louis. The Mexican War was a war between America and Mexican for Texas and where the borders ended. Robert being in the army for 21 years, never saw a hostile or hear a shot taken. On August 19th of that year Lee got command to report to General John Wool at San Antonio Texas. Gen. Wool started to lose the wars and president Polk hired Gen. Winfield Scott. Lee was the captain for the soldiers for General Winfield scott, at the Mexican War. Lee was astonished by all the troops and war boats at camp. On one expedition a vessel holding Lee, George Meade and Joseph Johnston could have changed history if the Mexicans were a good shot with cannons. America won by destroying Mexico, Winfield said that Lee was the best soldier he saw on the field. Lee helped General Scott find the way around Mexico and also find and capture strong points. Lee learned a lot from Gen. Scott by seeing him rush troops into battles and Lee learned to map terrain. Both of these techniques helped him in future battles to come. Lee had high confidence and others envied him for the way he fought and lead. One day Lee went to scout the area around Mexico City and was getting a drink. He heard the mexican troops approaching and Lee hid behind a log. He got lucky and almost got stepped on, and had to deal with bugs, heat and aching. Storming the hill of Atalaya and troops asked how far shall they charge them. The generals said to them charge them to hell. Lee wrote to his son, “You have no idea what a horrible sight a field of battle is. ”For Lee’s good fighting and skill, they made him a major. Lee never actually took part in the shootings or fighting, he mainly led troops through passages and carried messages back and forth. While running an errand Lee got struck by a bullet, but kept going. Lee took orders and carried messages for 50 hours and fainted for the first and last time. When he woke America won against Mexico and Lee was promoted to brevet Colonel. Lee learned a lot from the Mexican war and got promoted the most, the war gave him training for the future. He knew a lot of officers that in the future will fight against him like McClellan, Grant, and Joe Johnston. My next paragraph is about Lee in his biggest war he ever fought in (Civil War).

The war was one of the worst wars ever fought in americas with the most fatalities. Lee was offered to command of the Cuban revolutionary army, but he turned it down. Lee’s oldest Custis joined the army, and like Lee, Custis led the class. That same year in summer, the death of Mrs. Custis and Mr. Custis, changed Lee’s view of religion. Every cadet and faculty member admired him, and he felt where he was supposed to be. The Civil war was started by the South and North and the idea of states rights. when the Kansas and Neraska act caused so much violence everyone knew a war was coming. The south seceded and the north became the union and the states that seceded formed their own country. The states that seceded called themselves confederacy and for states rights, to protect their slaves. Later in the war it changed to free all slaves in every state but the border states. Lee was all about politics and he thought owning slaves was bad, he even released his slaves. He thought the secession was a fancy word for revolution. In 1860 of December South carolina seceded. Lee was worried Virginia would secede from the union and he wouldn't be able to decide to keep his loyalty to the U.S. or to Virginia. Lee wrote to his his “I wish to do what is right; I am unwilling to do what is wrong, either at the bidding of the South or the North. Lee took the choice to join the Confederacy. Gen. Scott was the commander of armies, and if Lee was to join he would become second in command. Which meant Lee would control the troops on the field. Before Lee joined the confederacy, President Lincoln asked Lee to be the commander for the Union. Even though it was Lee’s dream to be commander, Lee refused and joined the confederacy. The president of the confederacy was Jefferson Davis, and for the union was Lincoln.