...Lee was a patriotic soldier who believed in defending his state and who had not achieved the rank of general by politics or ego. Because he was a gentleman of stringent and high standards, he grew to be beloved and admired by his soldiers. He believed that it was better to lead from within before leading others. Because of these traits General Lee often sought advice, guidance and counsel from the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis. Having this relationship with Jefferson Davis and his trust granted Lee the latitude to execute his plans freely. General Lee had a philosophy; “you cannot be a true man until you learn to obey.” His philosophy was that the way a man modeled his life would automatically be reflected in the lives of those he led and mentored. General Lee was an asset to those around him and the leadership and courage that he portrayed was exemplified by his...
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...Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Stratford in Westmoreland county. He became the fourth child born to Ann Lee, and Colonel Harry. His mother, Ann Lee, came from one of the wealthiest families at the time in Virginia and his father better known as “light-horse Harry” served as Virginia's governor. Continuing in his father's footsteps Lee joined the military graduating in 1829 at the rank of second in his class. After graduation Lee became appointed second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers taking his first assignment in Cockspur Island, Georgia. Over the next twenty three years Lee would serve in Virginia, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Mexico. In the spring of 1830 Lee began courting his future wife Mary Curtis who...
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...January 6, 2011 Robert E. Lee and his Position on Slavery and Secession In the spring of 1861, our country faced a great turmoil caused by the incendiary issues of slavery and secession in the southern states. Abraham Lincoln, the newly elected president, was faced with the prospect of presiding over half a nation. Slavery was the key issue for the southern states but in Lincoln’s opinion the more pressing issue was the preservation of the Union. If not the issue of slavery, than some other issue at some other time would be reason enough for the states to try and secede. Lincoln’s fervent hope was that he could avoid a war by keeping the state of Virginia in the Union. “Lincoln declared to the U.S. Congress, “The course taken in Virginia was the most remarkable-perhaps the most important.” This simple statement expresses Virginia’s exceptional place in the history of the secession movement and the eventual coming of civil war in America. Virginia was important for two major reasons: first, the especially prominent and distinguished role it played in early American history and, second, its strategic location. For these reasons Virginians were truly torn over the decision of whether or not to secede. Because Virginia was not only sandwiched geographically but also economically, socially, and culturally between the North and the South, her decision to leave the Union was a tumultuous, long-fought battle.”(Gillian Cote, pg. 1) One of the ways Lincoln hoped to keep Virginia...
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...March 9, 2010 Robert E. Lee on Leadership Effective leadership involves creating direction in achieving the vision, aligning people through communication, and motivating and inspiring subordinates toward a shared vision. Direction helps in creating strategies that work toward a vision, or desirable future state. Alignment of people is achieved through communication of new directions and building a commitment to subordinating self interests in order to further the interests of the organization. The ability to motivate and inspire is what makes an exceptional leader. In H.W. Crocker’s, Robert E. Lee on Leadership, it is evident through General Robert E. Lee’s many leadership roles that he possessed the ability to motivate and inspire. Lee led as a businessman, as a warrior, and as an administrator. His actions in many circumstances throughout his life, exemplify some of the mainstream leadership theories of today. His style of leadership had a uniquely effective quality that is rarely observed. The lessons learned and qualities of leadership recognized from Lee’s experiences are beneficial for leaders of any organization today. Lee as a Businessman In the years before the War Between the States, Lee inherited the responsibility of running Arlington plantation, which was willed to his wife by her father. With the plantation, Lee inherited his father-in-law’s debts. Lee’s challenge was to run the plantation successfully enough to pay-off these debts and finance...
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...which is clearly evidenced in the actions of Lee. Critics of Robert E. Lee would even have to agree that his aggressiveness is a positive trait of a general. The lessons and skills General Lee displayed during the Battle of Antietam are still recognized today and can be beneficial for leaders of any organization during the 21st century. Similarly, there are lessons that can be learned from the mistakes of General McClellan during his time as the Commander of the Union Army. For example, General McClellan's greatly misjudged the Confederate Army’s strength in numbers; which happened to govern his military career. Because of this he is known as a timid leader that...
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...Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee “One of the greatest soldiers, if not the greatest, who ever spoke the English language” was born into a distinguished aristocracy on January 19, 1807 in Stratford Hall, Virginia. Though he was arguably the most cerebral military mind in our nation’s history, the military field was not Robert E. Lee’s career of choice. Despite that fact, Lee is now highly regarded as a skilled tactician and arguably the second-most influential man in the Civil War. With the Civil War approaching, on April 18, 1861, Secretary of State Francis Blair offered Lee control of all United States troops. Though any other man would have accepted immediately, Lee was in a tougher situation: he had to choose between the country he had served for thirty-two years or his home and family in the South. After pondering his decision, Lee decided to resign from the United States Army, stating that he could not raise his hand against those he loved. Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, 1862. This was the main army of the Confederacy. It was not until three years later that he officially assumed command of all Confederate troops. However, this was a mere formality as he had been the main leader throughout the course of the war. In his first major battle of the Civil War, Lee’s army demolished the troops of John Pope at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). However, at Antietam, Lee lost one-third of his troops to George McClellan...
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...American Art Project Part One: Baptism of Pocahontas Artist: John Gadsby Chapman John Gadsby Chapman created a masterpiece that showed the Baptism of Pocahontas which was commissioned in 1837 and officially hung in 1840. This is a significant piece of art that gives a glimpse of what it might have looked or felt like for the American Indians at that time. American Indians entering into the Christian faith symbolizes the change that America was rapidly going through, but also the “take-over” by American Settlers. This was the period of time when American settlers and American Indians had strained relations and by this time they were being forced off of their land. I believe this was another way for the Americans to show their strong beliefs in Christianity; and furthermore strengthening their support among the Indians by using a popular Native face in the painting. I believe that a wide range of emotions were presented in this picture; from confusion, to anger, happiness, and maybe some who just felt indifferent or intrigued by it all. Gadsby also did a very good job at showing a softer side to Pocahontas and portraying her in a more feminine way, contrary to how she had been portrayed many times before as a heroic icon. Declaration of Independence Artist: John Trumbull The Declaration of Independence as shown in this painting is a phenomenal piece of art work that was commissioned in 1817 and hung in 1818. This painting depicts the seriousness of the matter by portraying...
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...Battlefield Report: The Battle and Surrender of Appomattox Courthouse It was the 8th of April, 1865. Merely days earlier, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia had evacuated Petersburg and Richmond . After a day and night of persistent marching while under pursuit from Union General U.S. Grant, Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia settled near Appomattox Courthouse. Lee’s objective was the South Side Railroad where much-needed food supplies awaited (www.civilwar.org). Unfortunately for Lee, Brigadier General George A. Custer reached there first, capturing and burning two supply trains. Grant sent a surrender request, which Lee promptly ignored as he hoped for more supplies at Lynchburg. He did offer to meet Grant...
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...The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1st to July 3rd, 1863. The battle is considered to be the most important engagement of the American Civil War leaving many dead and many wounded. Winning the battle was a huge turning point for the Union and it crippled the Confederacy. General of the Confederacy Robert E. Lee commanded 70,000 Confederate troops while General George Meade of the Union commanded 93,000 Union soldiers Winning The Battle Of Gettysburg was a very large turning point for the Union Army during the Civil War. It allowed for the Union army to put Robert E. Lee in a position where he would be unable to invade Union territory. After The Battle Of Gettysburg the Confederate army never reached their peak strength they had...
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...The violent three day Battle at Gettysburg has come to an end on July 3, 1863. The Union has gained a very important victory. The Union won this battle under the controls of George G. Meade. The Confederate General Robert E. Lee has suffered a very disappointing loss. Some people believe this is a huge turning point of the war. There were about 51,000 total soldiers casualties. It is the largest battle fought in North America up to date. This battle has changed these soldiers lives and the Gettysburg residents forever.. The first steps leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg started in June 1863, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s soldiers crossed the Potomac River in Virginia, and began to march towards the Susquehanna...
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...control riot. To start, the city of Charlottesville wanted to remove a memorial statue of Robert E. Lee, an American general known for commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War. The government in Charlottesville believed that the statue represents slavery and the government does not believe in slavery anymore. However, white supremacists wanted to protest against their decision of removing this statue because they believe...
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...General Robert E Lee - Battle of Chancellorsville Name Institution Course Tutor Date General Robert E Lee - Battle of Chancellorsville Introduction The Battle of Chancellorsville took place in April 30 – May 6, 1863, and was part of the American Civil war. This battle is widely recognized in the American history as Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory during the American Civil War. Following the Union disaster at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Major General Ambrose Burnside was eased and Major General Joseph Hooker “Fighting Joe” stood in his place as Commander of the Army of the Potomac. After the trials of 1862, Hooker took the spring to reorganize and rehabilitate his troops who were encamped on the east bank of the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg. General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was encamped to the west of Fredericksburg and remained in place along the heights they had protected the earlier December. On April 30, 1863, Maj. Gen. Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker traversed the Rappahannock River and steered part of his large army onto the open of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. A strong cohort of Hooker’s army menaced the Confederate lines opposite Fredericksburg. Joe Hooker had reorganized and revitalized the Potomac Army over the preceding winter, with the Federal Force also greatly outnumbering the Confederates – approximately 130,000 to 60, 000 (Reid, 2013). Lee carried a union plan where he split his army in two, confronting...
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...The siege of Petersburg was one of the most crucial and most important turning points of the Civil War. The Union failed to capture Richmond from the Confederacy, so went to Petersburg as their last chance to make the Confederates surrender. The forces, the fighting tactic, and the casualties of the siege mark the surrender of Robert E. Lee to the Union forces and eventually ended the war at Appomattox Court House. The Union and the Confederacy both put their best forces including the army and leaders into the siege of Petersburg. The Union general, Ulysses S. Grant, had a showdown with the Confederate general, Robert E. Lee, throughout the course of the siege from June 9, 1864 to March 25, 1865. The troops on the Union’s side outnumbered the Confederacy with approximately 100,000 soldiers in comparison with only 52,000 soldiers in the Confederacy. The tactic of fighting from the North was the most well-known factor of the siege....
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...The Battle of Gettysburg happened in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle was known as the bloodiest battle ever during the Civil War. The battle started in July 1st and ending in July 3rd, 1863. The battle lasted 3 days. The Union general was George G. Meade and Robert E. Lee was the confederate general for the Battle of Gettysburg. The reason this battle started is because Robert E. Lee wanted to start a second invasion of the North when the Unions are defending. At the start of the battle, there was about 82,000 union soldiers ready to fight against 75,000 confederate soldiers in the Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg brought the battle, turning everything into a battlefield and hospitals for thousands of wounded soldiers. The...
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...he conventional wisdom concerning the comparative generalship of Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant was established almost immediately after the War of the Rebellion. Despite his role as, in the words of Frederick Douglass, “the rebel chieftain,” Lee has been portrayed as surpassing all others on both sides of the conflict not only in soldierly virtue but also in magnanimity and humanity. Indeed, for decades, no Civil War figure, not even Abraham Lincoln, has exceeded the reputation of Robert E. Lee. Lee has been described as the perfect soldier—a Christian and a gentleman as well as a peerless commander who led his renowned Army of Northern Virginia to a spectacular series of victories against overwhelming odds. For three years, he and his army provided the backbone of the Confederate cause. But though his adversaries were far less skillful than he, they were able to bring to bear superior resources, which ultimately overwhelmed the Confederacy. In the words of Gary Gallagher, the conventional wisdom held that “In defeat, Lee and his soldiers could look back on a record of selfless regard for duty and magnificent accomplishment.” Grant, on the other hand, has been described as a “butcher.” According to the conventional wisdom, Grant lacked strategic sense and tactical competence and was able to achieve victory only by taking advantage of the manpower and material superiority of the Union to bludgeon his opponent into submission. John Maynard Keynes, discussing the transmission...
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