What challenges did Robert Lee face?

What challenges did Robert Lee face?

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Lee faced a difficult decision. He personally disliked the institution of slavery, opposed secession by Virginia, loved the army, and revered the Union which his father had helped found. Nevertheless, Lee was a Southerner at heart.

What did Robert E Lee overcome?

His invasion of Maryland that September ended with the inconclusive Battle of Antietam, after which he retreated to Virginia. Lee then won two decisive victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville before launching a second invasion of the North in the summer of 1863, where he was decisively defeated at the Battle …

What were Robert E Lee’s weaknesses?

So his caliber as a student of military science was almost as unquestioned as his discipline and brilliance on the battlefield. He made few mistakes, but one of his weaknesses was his inability, at times, to listen to his junior commanders when they made suggestions about specific tactics and plans.

What was Robert E Lee’s greatest fear?

The war also revolutionized the South at the end of 1865 with the abolition of slavery and nearly 4 million African Americans across the country were freed. Lee and his fellow Confederate leaders feared for their treatment as possible prisoners of war.

What battles did Robert E Lee fight in?

Throughout his years in service, Lee was the principal commander in several key Civil War battles.

  • Battle of Cheat Mountain.
  • Second Battle of Bull Run, Manassas.
  • Battle of Antietam.
  • Battle of Fredericksburg.
  • Battle of Chancellorsville.
  • Battle of Gettysburg.
  • Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse.
  • Overland Campaign.

Why did General Lee 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.

What is Robert E Lee’s middle name?

Robert Edward Lee
Robert E. Lee/Full name

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 many slaves did Lee own?

He owned few slaves in his own right, but in 1857, as executor of his father-in-law’s large estate, he became responsible for almost 200 slaves who lived and worked on three large Virginia plantations that George W. P.

Did Lee ever meet Lincoln?

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

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 was the problem with Robert E Lee’s tactics?

However, Robert E Lee Tactics proved fatally defective. His tactical defects were that he was too aggressive on the field, he frequently failed to take charge of the battlefield, his battle plans were too complex or simply ineffective, and his orders were too vague or discretionary. Problems with Robert E Lee’s Tactics

When did Robert E.Lee go on the defensive?

Lee’s statistics substantially improved when he generally went on the defensive—finally and much too late—after the Battle of the Wilderness in early May 1864. In addition to his aggressiveness, Lee had other tactical problems. His second problem was his failure to take charge on the battlefield.

Why did Robert E.Lee sign his resignation?

In April, after a grueling bout of decision making, Lee signed his resignation. Lee was jolted into reality by the fanatical actions surrounding him in Texas. Exasperated at both sides, he lambasted the “dictatorial” bearing of the South as much as the North’s aggression.

Why did Robert E.Lee side with the south?

In 1861 Robert E. Lee argued that there was no justification for secession (though after the war he would execute mental loop-the-loops to prove that his decision to side with the South has been based on Constitutional principles).