Friday The Tweltfth Of April 1861
It was cold and raining on the morning of April 12th. 1861 The wind was blowing and the weather had been bad. At 3:20 am Brigadier Gen. G.T. Beauregard Commanding officer of the Confederate troops at Charleston Harbor had already dispatched a message to Major Robert Anderson, Commander of the Union forces occupying Fort Sumter giving him one hour to surrender, or be fired upon. It was now 4:30 am and still no answer. Gen. Beauregard gave the order. The guns roared and the shell's exploded on Fort Sumter. The Confederate forces had made there move, thus began one of the most costly wars in terms of lives this nation has ever endured. The war would last four years and over 640,000 men would lose there life, more than all other war's combined. Some of these men's names have long been forgotten with time, while others will always be remembered. One of these men was General Robert E. Lee.
March 16, 1861 Lee had just been promoted to the rank of Colonel and was in command of the 1st. Calvary Division, Colonel Lee was faceing the task of making one of the most important decisions of his military career. Should he continue to serve with the Union forces with whom he had sworn an allegiance and served with honor for 29 years? Or should he resign his command and join the Confederate forces and fight with his family and friends? The decision was his to be made and his alone.
April 25, 1861 Robert E. Lee resigned his commission and offered his sword to the Confederacy, where he was greeted with open arms. In a farewell letter to General Scott of the Union forces He stated that "under no circumstances could I ever raise my sword against my relatives, my children or my beloved Virginia, my home".
After resigning his commission Lee immeaditly returned to Richmomd where he was put in command of all Virginia forces by Govenor Letcher. On May 10, Lee received the commission of Major General in the Confederate States, retaining the command in Virginia and soon after was promoted to the rank of General in the regular army.
General Lee first took the field in the mountian regions of western Virginia where he was defeated by General J.J.Reynolds at Greenbrior on Oct.3, 1861. Later in May, when Joseph E. Johnson was wounded and the Union forces led by George B McClellan had fought there way to within the sight of Richmond, Lee was called to take command of the Army of Northern Virginia and defend Richmond. Lee took the command and attacked, stopping McClellan's army and forcing him to retreat during the seven day battle. After the battle Lee moved his army Northward where he attacked and defeated General John Pope at the Second Manassas.With Lee's confidence at an all time high he moved on to cross the Potomac into Maryland in September. McClellan who had gathered another army met Lee at Hagerstown where after two day's of furious fighting Lee was forced to retreat. With the help of Stonewall Jackson on Sept. 16, He turned to renew the fighting but after two days was forced to retreat out of Maryland.
Lee pulled back and set up at Fredericksburg and on Dec.13, was attacked by General Ambrose Burnside who was driven back with great slaughter. He met with the same success on May 1863 when attacked by Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville. Drivin by his success Lee once again looks North, this time it will be Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where he will meet General Meade in one of the bloodiest battles ever fought. Lee is not ready for this battle but he must do something to try and pull the union forces away from Richmond who are slowly tighten there grips on the Captial of the Confederacy. July 1, 1863 the battle begins. After five day's of fighting Lee pulls back, Meade does not pursue. Both sides have over 20,000 casualties.
Lee's battered army again crosses the Potomac and marches to Hagerstown. Lee will engage the Union forces numerous times over the next two years but ultimatly the war will end at Appomatox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, when General Robert E. Lee hands his sword to Grant.
Oct 13, 1870 The New York Times Read:
Reports were recieved last evening, of the death at Lexington Virginia of General Robert E. Lee, the most famous of the officers whose celebrity was gained in the service of the Southern Confederacy during the late and terrible rebellion. Gen. Lee was 63 years, eight months and twenty three days old.
While serving in the U.S. Military Lee was regarded by his superior officers as one of the most brilliant and promising men in the military. His personal intergrity was well known and his loyality and patriotism was not doubted.
"If I had foreseen the use those people designed to make of their victory, there would have been no surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, no sir, not by me. Had I foreseen these results of subjugation, I would have preferred to die at Appomattox with my brave men, my sword in this right hand."
Robert E. Lee
August, 1870
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
Plato |
