Robert E. Lee
The Gray General
The Civil War
Robert E. Lee was dedicated to his country but also to his home state. (Virginia) So when the state seceded, he chose to stay by its side and fight the north. During the first year of the war he served as a senior military adviser to president Jefferson Davis. Once he gained control of the field in 1862, everyone realized just how strategically skilled and driven he was to winning the war. He won many battles against the union but still not enough. The war went on until April 9, 1865 when Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House .
Life after the war
After the U.S civil war, Lee supported President Andrew Johnson's program of reconstruction and intersectional friendship despite the fact that he lost the right to vote and lost some of his property. He was not arrested or punished for his acting against the union. He was invited to the white house in 1869 and became an icon for reconciliation (rejoining) of the north and the south after the war.
The Death of The Gray General
On September 28, 1870 Lee suffered a stroke and passed two weeks later in Lexington, Virginia due to the effects of pneumonia. At first, there wasn't a coffin that would fit his body well so 3 were ordered but due to the heavy rains and storms, they were washed away. Not too long after they washed away, two brothers found one that was undamaged so that is the coffin that they used to bury him. He was buried underneath Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University, where his body still rests.
Contributions
Robert E Lee majorly contributed to the outcome of the war. He won many battles for the south and almost won. He also determined the future of the nation by surrendering to the north.