Robert E. Lee

"I cannot trust a man to control others when he cannot control himself."

- Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870) is perhaps one of the most famous American generals of all time. Lee was born into a military family, his father being Major General Henry Lee III, who was a top Westpoint graduate, and who fought in the American Revolution on the Revolutionary side. His father was also the governor of Virginia, and Robert Lee was raised to put your home first, and was incredibly proud of his heritage. Henry Lee I, his great grandfather, was one of the first colonists in Virginia. When a relative who he was living with wanted him to get into Westpoint at the age of 17, he spoke little of his academic prowess (which he had), and instead spoke of his family's importance, and in the March of 1824, he was let into West Point.

After graduating 2nd in his class, Lee would become a military engineer, and later distinguished himself in the Mexican-American war.

When the Southern States began to secede, he dismissed them as ridiculous and as anarchists. He, for a while, remained incredibly loyal to the Union, and accepted a promotion to Colonel in March of 1861. It was not until his native state of Virginia seceded would he consider joining Confederacy, as he refused to bear arms against his home state. He resigned from the US army on April 20 of that year and took control of the Virginia state forces three days later. As time went on, he was responsible for more and more Confederate victories. He also was incredibly inventive. For instance, he is sometimes credited with inventing trench warfare, as he surrounded Richmond, the Confederate capital, with trenches, which would prove pivotol in coming battles. Another famous decision he made was to offer slaves emancipation in exchange for army service. In 1865, he was made general-in-chief of Confederate forces.