What were Robert E. Lee's last 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 ...

What did Robert E. Lee say at the end of the war?

I determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen… I bid you an affectionate farewell.”

What was Robert E. Lee's motto?

“Never do a wrong thing to make a friend--or to keep one.” “I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.”

What did Robert E. Lee say during the Civil War?

“If Virginia stands by the old Union,” Lee told a friend, “so will I. But if she secedes (though I do not believe in secession as a constitutional right, nor that there is sufficient cause for revolution), then I will follow my native State with my sword, and, if need be, with my life.”

How old was General Lee when died?

General Robert Edward Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, dies at his home in Lexington, Virginia. He was 63 years old.

Robert E. Lee: A Remarkable Military Career

What was Stonewall Jackson's last words?

Jackson's condition continued to decline; he developed pneumonia and died on May 10, 1863. His last words were “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.” Jackson was buried on May 15, 1863, in the Lexington Presbyterian Cemetery.

What happened to Robert E. Lee's horse Traveler?

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.

What were Lee's last orders to his army?

Lee closed his final address to his faithful troops with these words: “With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous considerations for myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.”

What mistake did Lee make at Gettysburg?

The trouble was, Lee failed to recognise that by the second day he was the one who was actually outnumbered and in continuing to try and dominate the enemy the way he had on the first day, his forces were getting strung out.

What did Grant say to Lee at Appomattox?

General Grant began the conversation by saying 'I met you once before, General Lee, while we were serving in Mexico, when you came over from General Scott's headquarters to visit Garland's brigade, to which I then belonged. I have always remembered your appearance, and I think I should have recognized you anywhere. '

Did Grant and Lee know each other?

Grant and Robert E. Lee are connected through their Civil War bond and the historic surrender, 151 years ago today, at Appomattox Court House. But how much did Lee and Grant have in common? Both were noted military commanders and graduates of West Point.

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.

What happened to Lee after the Civil 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.

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.

Was General Lee a good person?

Lee was a great leader and tactical leader who deserves to be remembered for his moral strengths. He is still the only person to graduate from West Point Military Academy with not a single demerit. His military tactics were studied and used during World War II even.

Why was Lee forced to surrender?

Fact #4: Lee decided to surrender his army in part because he wanted to prevent unnecessary destruction to the South. When it became clear to the Confederates that they were stretched too thinly to break through the Union lines, Lee observed that “there is nothing left me to do but to go and see Gen.

Did Lee regret Pickett's charge?

After the fighting, Lee expressed deep regret for ordering the charge. He told a general, “this has all been my fault.” Some saw Pickett weeping over the loss of half of his division. Pickett's after-battle report was reportedly extremely bitter, and General Lee forced Pickett to destroy it.

Did Pickett ever forgive Lee?

As soldiers straggled back to the Confederate lines along Seminary Ridge, Lee feared a Union counteroffensive and tried to rally his center, telling returning soldiers and Wilcox that the failure was "all my fault". Pickett was inconsolable for the rest of the day and never forgave Lee for ordering the charge.

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.

Has the US ever surrendered a war?

On April 9, 1942, Major General Edward P. King Jr. surrenders at Bataan, Philippines—against General Douglas MacArthur's orders—and 78,000 troops (66,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans), the largest contingent of U.S. soldiers ever to surrender, are taken captive by the Japanese.

Could the Confederates have won?

“The South could 'win' the war by not losing,” writes McPherson, but “the North could win only by winning.” Although outnumbered and lacking the industrial resources of the North, the Confederacy was not without advantages of its own. It was vast—750,000 square miles the Federals would have to invade and conquer.

What did the Confederacy stand for?

It is also called the Southern Confederacy and refers to 11 states that renounced their existing agreement with others of the United States in 1860–1861 and attempted to establish a new nation in which the authority of the central government would be strictly limited and the institution of slavery would be protected.

Who owned the land where Arlington Cemetery is now?

Arlington House

Custis was the grandson of Martha Washington and the step-grandson of President George Washington. The plantation is located on a hilltop overlooking the Potomac River and Washington, D.C. Custis inherited the 1,100-acre plantation from his father at the age of 21 in 1802.

Who was Robert E. Lee's best friend?

Johnston and Robert E. Lee. In April 1870, Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston, both 63 years old, gray and grizzled, sat for a photographer in Savannah, Ga. Lee had about six months to live, Johnston nearly 21 years.