Robert E Lee

Hello. I am the idol of the South to this day, My name is Robert E. Lee. I am best known as a Leader of Confederate armies in the Civil War. I was first a soldier in the U.S. Army:

I attended West Point (graduating second in my class) and became an engineer in the United States Army, serving with success in the Mexican-American War of 1846-48.

As the Civil War broke out in 1861, I resigned from my commission and joined the forces of the South. In 1862 I was made commander of the Confederate Army of Northern

Virginia, and over the next three years became famous as I led the army to a series of victories over the larger and better-equipped Union forces. I was defeated at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg and finally surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the war.

I always hoped to make a name for myself-a great name.

I was the fifth child born to Ann Carter Lee and Harry Lee, Revolutionary War hero "Light Horse" Harry. I was born January 19, 1807 in a lovely mansion called Stratford.

It was on a grand plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. When I was three years old, our family moved to the town of Alexandria, Virginia. Though, the mansion was lovely,

I was happy to leave the bad memories of my fathers bad debts that haunted our family. My father eventually left to live in the West Indies.

As much as I loved Alexandria, I liked another place even more. I loved the estate called Shirley, situated on the James River. Shirley belonged to my mothers family.

Growing up I spent many hours watching the blacksmith shoeing horses, the miller grinding grain into flour, the carpenters repairing and making furniture, and many other craftspeople at work. There were hundreds of slaves on the Virginia plantation. Some worked as house servants, some as mechanics, and some as farm laborers.

I had a difficult childhood in many ways. There was my fathers disgrace. The money problems my father created worried my mother.

Being at Shirley was wonderful, but it was like taking charity. I often saw myself as a poor relation who had to earn his keep by being a perfect gentleman.

I had to prove that the Lees were respectable. It was as if, by my behavior, I hoped to erase my fathers bad reputation.

Until I entered the boys school, at the age of nine, I had not attended any other school. I knew how to read, write and do math, because my mother was a teacher.

I was expected to be well-educated. It was simply understood that we would acquire an education for the same reasons we would learn to dance, ride a horse and behave properly.

At the age of eleven, I was the man of the house. My brothers and sister were away. I was very busy taking over adult responsibilities.

I took care of the housekeeping, directed servants, paid the bills and looked after the horses. One of my favorite activities was going to the horse markets.

I loved horses, everything about them interested me. I learned about horses by watching the sales, by asking questions of the dealers,