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Robert Edward Lee. Image by Julian Vannerson –

Top 10 Facts about Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was an American Civil War general. He was born to Colonel Harry and Ann Lee, prominent members of the Virginia aristocracy, on 19^th January 1819. He was the fourth out of the six children in the family.

He was best known for his service to the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy’s most powerful army, from 1862 until its surrender in 1865.

During the war, Lee earned a solid reputation as a skilled tactician, for which he was revered by his officers and men as well as respected and feared by his Union Army adversaries.

1.Lee’s family was an aristocratic Virginian

Lee’s family had rooted from England and were one of the first Virginian families. These were families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers.

Most First Families in Virginia, flourished as tobacco planters, and from the sale of slaves to the cotton states to the south.

His father was one of the prominent and wealthy ones. He however made a series of financial miscalculations which led him to be put in debtor’s prison. After his release the next year, the family moved to the District of Columbia near his mother’s extended family.

2.Lee was smart in school

Robert E. Lee. Potrait by William Edward West –

From a young age in school his interest was mathematics.

Young adult Lee later attended military school where he specialized in engineering. His proficiency in the mathematics saw him made to tutor other students in advanced mathematics which was a foundation of engineering only in his second year!

He finished his studies in the academy and graduated second in his class. Out of the forty five students in class he was among the five that did not incur demerits in the four year course of study.

Lee was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and was sent to Cockspur Island near Savannah, Georgia where he had his first engineering assignment.

3.He married the great-granddaughter of first lady Martha Washington

Mary Custis Lee. Potrait by TradingCardsNPS –

Lee was known to be tall and soft to the eye however his father’s tarnished reputation did not impress his future in laws. Mary Custis, his future wife was prohibited from marrying Lee specifically to his family’s history. Mary’s family finally gave in after the young couple were adamant.

The couple married on 30^th June 1831 and were blessed with seven children all but one who did not survive.

Whilst they were opposites where Lee was tidy and punctual and Mary was not, as her upbringing had seen to being attended to by many slaves, they had a successful marriage.

4.Lee played a major role in the Mexican- American war

Gen. Robt. E. Lee. Lithograph by Jones Brothers Publishing Co.-

Lee distinguished himself in the Mexican- American war which went on from 1946 to 1948.

Though he did not actively participate in combat, he majorly acted as a scout. His job was to navigate and look for ways his fellow soldiers would manoeuvre in their attacks.

He rose to the ranks of a colonel in the war but permanently remained captain of the engineers.

5.He was named as executor in his father in law’s will

Robert E Lee. Unknown Photographer –

After the demise of his father in law, George Washington Parke Custis, in 1857, he found himself with the burden of administering the will. This was a huge responsibility and had to take leave for two years to try to manage the estate.

The estate was vast, was been mismanaged and losing money when he came in. In George’s will he sought for his executors to emancipate the slaves five years after his disease, however when Lee came in, there was delay in the promise. On top of the delay he put up strict expectations and harsher punishment which led to a near revolt by the slaves.

Several slaves were put in jail after their recapture and by the end of 1860 only one slave family was left intact on the estate.

6.His views on race and slavery were contradictory

Lee never really took a stand on the issue of neither race nor slavery.

Though he claimed to be sympathetic on the issue of slavery, he also did believe that his race (white) was superior to the blacks.

He had owned and even bought slaves; he had however helped some slaves to acquire freedom and had also emancipated others in his will. Him and his wife were apparently disgusted by slavery but did not support its immediate abolishment.

He refused to acknowledge the issue of slavery as a political one and only thought it to be religious or moral.

7.Lee channelled the Mississippi river back towards the city allowing St. Louis to remain a river port

Before decent roads and railways had come up in place, water was the main mode of transport. Change in currents of the river had gradually started to affect the city of St. Louis as silts of sand had started to collect at the harbour. This greatly affected trade.

In 1837, the army sent out Lee to tackle the problem using his engineering prowess. So much money had been spent in trying to correct this.

Lee reasoned that he needed to work with the river and not against it.  By digging out two dams he blocked the currents from Illinois and towards St Louis which deepened the harbour allowing accessibility by boats. The success of this assignment is what earned him the captain of engineers title.

8.He died as a guest of the state and not a citizen

Robert E. Lee. Statue by Edward Valentine-

Lee surrendered in 1865 to Appomattox courthouse. He was pardoned by President Lincoln. He signed an amnesty oath seeking to become an American citizen once again.

In September 28, 1870, he suffered a stroke. He died two weeks later, on October 12^th 1870, in Lexington, Virginia, from the effects of pneumonia. Unprecedented floods led to two his caskets which had been ordered to be swept. One was retrieved but turned out to be a bit short for him. This led him to be buried without shoes in order to fit in the casket.

100 years later his oath was discovered and his citizenship restored.

9.Lee was aggressive, a risk taker and a workaholic

Lee was and aggressive in the military and was known to take great calculated risks to achieve his goals. He would rather play on the offence than waiting on the enemy to attack.

In as much as he was polite, thoughtful and intelligent, he did not shy away from using his soldiers to their extreme potential for the benefit of the course.

Several times during war he would sacrifice sleep to the detriment of his health in order to victor in the battles.

10.His son, William Henry Fitzhugh “Rooney” Lee, was captured as prisoner of war

Robert E. Lee and his son, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee –

Lee had three sons who followed his footsteps in the army.

Rooney was the most adventurous of his children. He was captured by Union troops in his wife’s family home while nursing an injury. He was held for eight months until he was released in an exchange. When he returned, his wife and two children had died during the war.

He remarried and had several children. He lived until 1891.