Robert E. Lee's Contributions

Robert E.Lee was born in Virginia, he seem destined for military greatness. Despite his father to depart to the west Indies. Robert secured an appointment to the U.S Military Academy at West Point and two years later, married with Mary Custis. He was a exceptional officer and military engineer in the U.S Army for 32 years. During war with Mexico, Lee distinguished himself earning 3 brevets for gallantry and emerging from the conflict with the rank of colonel. Confederate general Robert E.Lee is perhaps the most iconic and most widely respect of all Civil War Commanders.

In 1855, he left the academy to take a position in the cavalry. In 1859, it was called upon to put down abolitionist John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry. Lee declined and tendered his resignation from the army, instead he accepted a general’s commission as one of the federal forces. Because of his reputation as one of finest officers in the U.S Army, Abraham Lincoln offered Lee , the command of the Federal forces. He served as military advisor to the President Jefferson Davis until June 1862 . Lee renamed his command the Army of Northern Virginia and his direction. It would become the most famous and successful of the Confederate Armies.

Chancellorsville gave Lee great confidence, Lee attacked strong Union positions on high ground, the Federals wouldn’t budge. To take the fight to enemy soil and see the Yankees run in the face of his aggressive troops. Lee ordered a massive frontal assault against, taking full responsibility for the defeat. He wrote Jefferson Davis offering his resignation. The attack known as Pickett’s charge was a failure and Lee recognizing the the bottle was lost, ordered his army to