Robert E. Lee
Ryan Thierman
Mrs. Smith
SUPA History 101
Research Paper
11 January 2013
Robert E. Lee: The Savior or Destroyer of the South?
Robert E. Lee, the most renowned general of the Civil War, was both a mastermind of battlefield strategy and a true gentleman. His leadership skills and sharp mind allowed him to become the most successful general in the South. Although Robert E. Lee was a man whose life was marked by distinction and courage, he was also marked by arrogance and failure. “Lee was born the fourth child of Colonel Henry Lee and Ann Hill Carter on January 19, 1807. Lee 's father, also known as ‘Light-Horse Harry,’ had been a cavalry leader during the Revolutionary War. Henry Lee had also served as governor of Virginia.” (PBS) Having been predisposed to the military through his father, Robert E. Lee decided to join the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating second in his class in 1829. Lee’s first sight of war came in 1846 when he served as captain under the orders of General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War. “Later, Scott would write about Lee 's remarkable performance in that war, calling him ‘the very best soldier I ever saw in the field.’ In October of 1859, Lee was called upon to stop John Brown 's attempted slave insurrection at Harper 's Ferry, Virginia. It took Lee only an hour to put an end to Brown 's raid.” (PBS) During the initial outbreak of the Civil War, Lee was already a respected military leader, gaining the attention of both Northern and Southern leaders. “Such early successes made Lee a leading candidate to command Union forces against the South once it decided to secede. Reluctant to engage in a war against the South, Lee turned down an offer of command of the Union forces” (PBS) “But Lee 's commitment to the Army was superseded by his commitment to Virginia.” (Bio.com) During the Virginia Secession Convention in 1861, in which Virginia joined the other Southern states in secession, Lee decided to join sides with his
Mrs. Smith
SUPA History 101
Research Paper
11 January 2013
Robert E. Lee: The Savior or Destroyer of the South?
Robert E. Lee, the most renowned general of the Civil War, was both a mastermind of battlefield strategy and a true gentleman. His leadership skills and sharp mind allowed him to become the most successful general in the South. Although Robert E. Lee was a man whose life was marked by distinction and courage, he was also marked by arrogance and failure. “Lee was born the fourth child of Colonel Henry Lee and Ann Hill Carter on January 19, 1807. Lee 's father, also known as ‘Light-Horse Harry,’ had been a cavalry leader during the Revolutionary War. Henry Lee had also served as governor of Virginia.” (PBS) Having been predisposed to the military through his father, Robert E. Lee decided to join the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating second in his class in 1829. Lee’s first sight of war came in 1846 when he served as captain under the orders of General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War. “Later, Scott would write about Lee 's remarkable performance in that war, calling him ‘the very best soldier I ever saw in the field.’ In October of 1859, Lee was called upon to stop John Brown 's attempted slave insurrection at Harper 's Ferry, Virginia. It took Lee only an hour to put an end to Brown 's raid.” (PBS) During the initial outbreak of the Civil War, Lee was already a respected military leader, gaining the attention of both Northern and Southern leaders. “Such early successes made Lee a leading candidate to command Union forces against the South once it decided to secede. Reluctant to engage in a war against the South, Lee turned down an offer of command of the Union forces” (PBS) “But Lee 's commitment to the Army was superseded by his commitment to Virginia.” (Bio.com) During the Virginia Secession Convention in 1861, in which Virginia joined the other Southern states in secession, Lee decided to join sides with his
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