How old was General Lee when died?

Robert Edward Lee was a Confederate general who served the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War, during which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most powerful army, from 1862 until its surrender in 1865.

What happened to General Lee after the war?

Feature Lee After The War

He was unable to return to his estate in Arlington, Virginia, however, because it now sat in the middle of a national cemetery, overlooking the graves of thousands of union soldiers. Lee and his family instead moved to Lexington, Virginia, where he became the president of Washington College.

How long did Robert E. Lee live?

Robert E. Lee, in full Robert Edward Lee, (born January 19, 1807, Stratford Hall, Westmoreland county, Virginia, U.S.—died October 12, 1870, Lexington, Virginia), U.S. Army officer (1829–61), Confederate general (1861–65), college president (1865–70), and central figure in contending memory traditions of the American ...

How long did General Lee serve in the military?

Graduating second in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1829, Lee served 31 years in the US Army, including three years as superintendent of West Point in the 1850s. Though his career rarely included combat, Lee gained recognition as a scout in the Mexican-American War.

Did Robert E. Lee want to fight for the Union?

As practical issues, Lee did not oppose either slavery or secession. Although he felt slavery in the abstract was a bad thing, he blamed the national conflict on abolitionists, and accepted the pro-slavery policies of the Confederacy. He chose to fight to defend his homeland.

Facts You Didn't Know About General Robert E. Lee

Could Lee have won at Gettysburg?

Early extolled Lee's genius. In fact, Early claimed, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia would have won the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point in the Civil War, if his orders had been obeyed.

What were Robert E. Lee's dying words?

The morning of October 12, he developed a “feeble, rapid pulse” and “shallow breathing.” Lee's reported last words were, “Tell Hill he must come up!” “Strike the tent!” Yet, his daughter at the bedside recalled only “struggling” with “long, hard breathes,” and “in a moment he was dead.” CONCLUSIONS: Lee suffered ...

Did Lincoln and Lee ever meet?

Gen. Robert E. Lee, almost immortal on Monument Avenue, did not have an opportunity to meet with President Lincoln after the surrender at Appomattox.

How many Confederates were executed after the Civil War?

Over 500 men, representing both North and South, were shot or hanged during the four-year conflict, two-thirds of them for desertion. As the war continued into its later years the penalty of death was often overlooked in order to preserve the dwindling ranks of the Confederate army.

Was Robert E. Lee related to George Washington?

Marriage and family

While Lee was stationed at Fort Monroe, he married Mary Anna Randolph Custis (1808–1873), great-granddaughter of Martha Washington by her first husband Daniel Parke Custis, and step-great-granddaughter of George Washington, the first president of the United States.

Was Robert E. Lee a war hero?

Roy Blount, Jr. Few figures in American history are more divisive, contradictory or elusive than Robert E. Lee, the reluctant, tragic leader of the Confederate Army, who died in his beloved Virginia at age 63 in 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War.

Who was the best general in the Civil War?

Ulysses S Grant was the supreme Union general during the civil war and then later 18th President of the United States. Grant was instrumental in the battlefield defeat of the Confederacy and then as President worked to implement Reconstruction.

What did Lee say when he surrendered?

"I feel that it is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself any further effusion of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the C.S. Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia." Lee responded, saying he did not agree with Grant's opinion of the hopelessness of further resistance of his army.

Did Grant and Lee meet after the war?

The two men never met again. Lee died 17 months later. Lee is believed to be the only person to visit the White House after having their United States citizenship revoked. Copyright 2019 WWBT.

What did General Lee say before the Battle of Gettysburg?

The address reminds his soldiers of the recent victories of other Confederate forces, rallies them around their country's cause, and imbues them with a sense of mission: "Some of our bravest officers and men have fallen, but their comrades not less brave will emulate their glorious examples." Lee made sure the men knew ...

Where is Robert E. Lee's horse buried?

The horse that was his closest companion during war now became his instrument in finding peace. Not long after General Lee's death in October, 1870, Traveller stepped on a rusty nail in his stall and died of tetanus. He is buried within yards of his master, just outside the Lee Chapel in Lexington.

Was Lee and Grant friends?

General Grant, following orders of President Lincoln, put a stop to the idea. The two friends would finally meet again following the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. It was Longstreet, according to various accounts, who persuaded Lee that Grant would offer generous terms there.

Why did Lee lose at Gettysburg?

Both armies, exhausted, held their positions until the night of July 4, when Lee withdrew. The Army of the Potomac was too weak to pursue the Confederates, and Lee led his army out of the North, never to invade it again.

Does Robert E. Lee have any living descendants?

Through Rob and his older brother Rooney, there are over twenty direct descendants of Mary and Robert E. Lee alive today. Mary Anna Custis Lee and Robert E. Lee, Jr.

Is Robert E. Lee IV still alive?

“Bob” Lee IV died May 14, 2020, at age 95 at his home in Bethesda, Md. The great-grandson of Confederate Gen. and Washington College President Robert E. Lee, the New York native graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1949 after having served in the U.S. Army during World ...

Was Lee sick at Gettysburg?

It is our opinion that he sustained a heart attack in 1863 and that this illness had a major influence on the battle of Gettysburg. Lee experienced relatively good health from 1864 to 1867, but by 1869 he had exertional angina and by the spring of 1870 had intermittent rest angina.

Where is Robert E. Lee's sword?

Lee's descendants permanently loaned the sword to the Museum of the Confederacy in 1918. The family bequeathed the sword and scabbard to the museum in 1982. The museum is sharing its collection — a fraction of which is on display at the Richmond facility, which will remain open — at three planned centers in Virginia.

What would have happened if the South won the Civil War?

The United-States would have been unable to surpass the British Empire and to become the first industrial power. It would have weakened its economic and military powers, making the US unable to intervene in Europe in 1917 and change the course of war.

What was the deadliest Civil War battle?

Number of casualties in major battles in the American Civil War 1861-1865. Of the ten bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg in early July, 1863, was by far the most devastating battle of the war, claiming over 51 thousand casualties, of which 7 thousand were battle deaths.