Robert E. Lee

General Robert E. Lee (http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/robert-e-lee-pictures/robert-e-lee.jpg)

Confederate General Robert E. Lee was a great Civil War hero. He led his troops to victory over and over again. He was a great leader and a determined man, so I picked him as my hero. I would like to be someone who people look up to and to be a leader, not always a follower. Also I wish to be victorious in all of my life battles. During my research on Robert E. Lee, I came across many interesting facts about him that will be in the following paragraphs.

Robert E. Lee is not the only famous Lee in history. His father, Henry, was in the army as well. Robert followed in his father’s footsteps. Robert’s father fought in the Revolutionary War. Two Lees even signed the Declaration of Independence, including his father Henry. When Robert was a little boy, his father said he was going to the West Indies. Robert never saw his father again. From then on, Robert did a lot more around the house, such as tending the lawn and helping prepare the family's meals.

Robert wanted to go to West Point Military Academy, to train to become a soldier. Robert and one of his best friends named John Mackay were on guard duty. Some older cadets played a trick on Lee that night, when he asked who was there he got a stupid answer like the president of the United States. Robert E. Lee never did anything stupid like that and never received a demerit in his entire time at West Point. His nickname was the Marble Model, because only a statue can be perfect. Robert graduated second in his class. He went on to marry Mary Curtis and had seven children.

Some people think that Robert E. Lee wanted slavery just because he fought for the Confederacy. He was actually offered to be a general in the Union. Lee denied the offer because he could not stand to fight against his home state of Virginia. They honor him today by celebrating his birthday as a holiday. The schools also get it as a day off.

The following is some of the amazing and brilliant things Robert E. Lee said. “I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.” Another one is, “Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less.” Also, “A true man of honor feels humbled in himself when he cannot help humbling others.” And lastly, “The education of a man is never completed until he dies.”

General Robert E. Lee died on October 12, 1870 at the age of 63. He is buried in the Crypt of the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virgina. His wife and all seven of his children are also buried there. Actually Robert E. Lee was president of this university for five years until his death. He was able to revitalize the school after the Civil War. Today the university still uses his concept of honor systems. Robert E. Lee was a great hero as a general and a hero as a man.