Calvin Johnson of Georgia does a grand job of highlighting significant events in the Southern calendar and Lee is perhaps one of Calvin’s most significant of tributes at a troubling time in American politics, the politics of denial. The American Civil War is a turning point in the county’s history, forming not only a fascinating time for historians and re enactors to study but also the single most important episode in its national story. So important is it that no part, no player on that broad field, should ever be denied their role in it. For here we see the transformation of American life and the emergence of a true national identity and one that Lee was to embrace whole-heartedly after the war. Lee didn’t fight against his country; he fought for his State, Virginia.

If you like, you could view the War Between the States as a blacksmith’s anvil and each player wielding a hammer with which to shape the country through sparks and smoke to make it what it is today. For this reason alone, none of the players should be denied their place in its final construction and shape, it’s just a tragedy that hammers had to be used to fashion it when it could have been moulded with bare hands.   As Calvin has pointed out, it’s the anniversary of the death of the great and much respected man. Next year will be the bicentenery of his birth. In this story I have tried to uncover the personal character of the man behind the legend, what was he really like?   A cadet at Westpoint in 1829, Robert E Lee graduated second in his class and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. Engineers build things, engineers are constructive and here is a common thread that runs through Lee’s life. It would be interesting to know how the top graduate of his class fared because Lee was to become one of the finest military leaders the US has ever known, even President Eisenhower acknowledged this. In 1832 Lee married Mary Custis, the great granddaughter of Martha Washington and took up residence in Alexandria, Virginia. Poor Mary was to suffer crippling arthritis and Lee, her devoted caring husband, was her constant companion and nurse to the end in spite of the war.   During the earlier Mexican war Lee distinguished himself as Captain, earning three brevets and was wounded at Chapultepec. Here we see Lee admonishing a young Grant for his sloppy and dirty uniform and ordering him to change clothes immediately to conform with regulation. Later at the surrender in Appomatox, Lee was again immaculately attired and again the now General Grant was splashed with mud and wearing the tattered uniform of a common soldier with shoulder patches roughly sewn on, only this time no such order could be given by Lee. The irony must have crossed both their minds.

In 1852 Lee took up the mantle of Westpoint’s Commandant and over three years of improvements he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 2^nd Cavalry and strangely, stationed far away in West Texas. War drums were beating when John Brown and his brutal raid on Harper’s Ferry saw Lee recalled and ordered to put down the rebellion. Leading a group of U.S. marines Lee assaulted the Federal arsenal and captured the infamous abolitionist and his followers whom he later witnessed being executed. This revolutionist and murderer Brown, is now revered by the Union and emboldened in the song John Brown’s Body but it was a Union government that executed him. . Lee became full Regimental Commander in 1860.

By 1861 secession was creating a national crisis and Lee was recalled again from far-flung Texas. However he declined an offer to fight the Confederacy and chose instead to fight for his loved state Virginia and the South; what followed is legend.

 At the end, a few days before surrender at Appomatox Court House, Lee told his colleague and confidant General Pendleton, “We have yet too many bold men to think of laying down arms. The enemy do not fight with spirit while our boys still do.” On Palm Sunday April 9^th 1865 the immaculate General Robert E Lee surrendered to General Grant in his mud-splattered uniform. With the war over, another side to Lee’s character emerged as head of Washington College. He was speaking to a reluctant southern mother of two boys who had come to join the college. “Don’t bring up your sons to detest the United States government,” he said, “we form but one country now. Abandon all these local animosities and make your sons Americans.”  Lee was marching on.

However General Grant wasn’t and he later became contemptuous of Lee and well may he have been for Lee outmatched him at almost every turn. Apart from the uniform rebuke, Grant took himself away from direct confrontation with a man whom he knew had his match, preferring to fight in the Western theatre of war until nearly the end of the conflict, when the South had been worn down. Lee had very little knowledge of Grant’s character as opposed to many of the officers of the North whom Lee had schooled.

Another associate of Lee, General Gordon said later, “Lee was never really beaten, he couldn’t be beaten! Overpowered, failed in his efforts he might have been but never defeated until the props that supported him, (the entire Confederacy) gave way.”

This is the answer to that long held question, what went wrong for Lee? The entire Confederate structure collapsed and with it went the courageous Confederate soldier and Lee’s devotion to duty. This could be compared with many other wars since, in Russia and Germany or earlier in France under Napoleon or ancient Rome and certainly Lee’s name belongs in their Hall of Fame.

Lee was raised as and remained an Episcopalian.  He had no love of religious controversy or dogmas and respected all religions. In his book, Christ In The Camp, J.W Jones gives us a striking example of Lee’s tolerance. “A Jewish soldier had applied for leave to attend a Synagogue ceremony in Richmond but the application was denied by the soldier’s Captain claiming that, If such applications were granted the whole army would turn Jews or Quakers.”  When the same application form came before Lee he immediately approved it and politely said to the officer concerned, “You should respect the religious views and feelings of others.” The South was a very different army to the North.

About the Northern army, one of Lee’s officers said to him, “I wish all those people were dead!” Lee turned to him aghast and replied, “How can you say so? Now, I wish they were all at home, attending to their own business and leaving us to do the same!”

This is a very good clue as to the nature of the man. Lee’s character has been compared with the Duke of Wellington, Lee’s father admired Wellington and this rubbed off. Like Wellington, Lee skillfully used inferior numbers and resources throughout the war and infused a spirit into the Army of Northern Virginia. As revealed in the book, “The Divided Union,” by J G Randall and David Donald, his control of the army wasn’t through an iron rigour, Lee’s discipline depended on morale and respect. He had an unusual memory for names and faces enabling him to truly know his army personally and it knew him for he rode with them.

If Lee had a weakness, it was also his greatest strength, an excessive amiability that came with his religion. Lee hated hurting the feelings of subordinates, as evidenced by Jeb Stuart’s disappointing performance at Gettysburg and Lee’s reluctance to chastise him. This amiability wasn’t lost to his officers and men who admired him for it to the very end. Yet Gettysburg was Lee’s greatest and most tragic failure, in a large part brought on by Stuart’s failure to scout out enemy strength but in the final analysis it must be said the fault was Lee’s. He admitted as much to his men. The pain of the loss and suffering at Gettysburg is said to be one that Lee never fully recovered from and it impacted on his health. After the war he was no doubt stung by the bitter accusations hurled at him but he suffered in silence. While talking to the wife of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis, she enquired about why he didn’t respond to some of the nasty things being said about him. Lee said, “I have thought, from time to time, after the cessation of hostilities, that silence and patience on the part of the South is the true course and I think so still. Controversy of all kinds will, in my opinion, only serve to continue excitement and passion and prevent the public mind from acknowledgement and acceptance of the truth.” Perhaps he meant ‘reality,’ accepting the reality of defeat was difficult for many.

Robert E Lee’s last words to his army were, “You will take with you the satisfaction that comes with awareness of a duty faithfully performed.”

These few words, written to commemorate the life of a brilliant man by Calvin and myself, must serve the need for truth and fairness for now. The United States is bent on a path to discredit R. E. Lee and the South. It is an easy thing to smite the warrior when he is down but look at what he did while he stood. If you ignore his devotion to State and duty then look at the role in education and his dedication to furthering the ambitions of young Americans in the deliverance of the country from destruction to reconstruction. His encouragement of the arts through a young man, master sculptor Ezekial Moses (see earlier story in The Bugle) or the words of guidance to a confused former Confederate mother who worried about her two sons’ participation in the institution of the United States.

The striking picture below is believed to be the last taken of the General, it was taken the year of his death 1870 as always dapper. It’s a stunning picture and captures the true character of the man. 

To his old friend Ewell he said, “I much enjoy the charms of civil life and find that too late, I wasted the best part of my existence.” After issuing a long sigh he concluded, ”The great mistake of my life was taking a military education.” Lee was a staunch Democrat (equivalent to Labour party in Australia) yet his family was of the ruling class. In his book Robert E Lee-The Soldier, published in 1925 and in my possession, Sir Frederick Maurice asserted that Lee’s one true friend in life was God. A deeply religious and faithful man in all things to the very end of his life, kind and considerate.

This was a truly great man, as deserving of our respect today as Caesar, Nelson, Bonoparte, Wellington or Eisenhower, although Lee would probably shun such self-esteeming respect. And for the United States, he is probably one of the most inspiring people to emerge from its long and difficult history. That the USA should now turn it’s back on him and his past achievements is the country’s greatest slur when so many young Southern men and women are following his brave example in this still trouble torn world. He stood up to defend his State and did what he sincerely believed was his duty to the best of his ability. We can’t all be winners.

It has been said, “Those who forget history are forced to relive it.” Heavens forbid! That’s a part of history that should, like Lee rest in peace, no one should have to live through that awful time again. However reliving the historic account and letting the history live in you is an honourable deed and ensures that generations to come do not forget. This I am sure Lee would have agreed with.