Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee was a war hero during the Civil War. Lee was born in Virginia (Meet). He was born into a very respected family. His father was a commander during the Revolutionary War, Governor of Virginia, and friends with George Washington (Meet). Lee attended West Point school (Meet). In the school, he was granted commission into the elite Army Corps of Engineers (Meet). Lee was asked to fight with the Union by Abraham Lincoln (Meet). He declined the offer and retired after spending thirty six years in the United States army (Meet). He could not stay away from the war scene too long. He went back to Virginia and he gathered up troops there to fight the Union (Meet). He knew the Union would be hard to beat with their numbers so high, and he knew they did not stand a chance up to the Union Army (Meet). Lee went to an army base and had the troops better than they ever thought imaginable within three weeks of training (Meet). He led many major battles. He knew they had lost, but he fought hard anyway. Lee surrendered at the battle of Appomattox on April 9, 1865 (Meet). This must have been hard for him to do since he loved his country so much. He did not like to loose. After the war, he advised the Confederate Armies to forget what happened and go back into the Union (Meet). Lee was a very brave and smart guy.

Lee was a very intelligent man. He knew what he was doing before he did it and he always had a plan. He was trained well and that led him to train others well. He writes a letter to his son about his thoughts on the Civil War (Lee). War takes its toll on everyone around it. Robert E. Lee was affected a lot also. He was a peaceful man and he did not like war. Yes, he was good at it, but nobody really likes to be in a war. In his letter to his son, Lee is talking about his opinions of the War (Lee). He knows the what the North and South are doing to each other. He can not help himself but to fight for his homeland. He states, "The South, in my opinion, has been aggrieved by the acts of the North, as you say. I feel the aggression and am willing to take every proper step for redress." (Lee). He it taking the blame for the wrong done here by telling his son that he knows what is happening and he is trying to stop it. He also says that he would fight for any state that had its rights stripped form them (Lee). This letter is a letter in the form of realism. It is because he is talking about real feelings (Werlock). He is telling his son how he feels about the situation they are in (Lee). He does not down play the difficulties they are in. I would say Lee is an American Hero. He fought everyday for his country as a whole and he deserved his name. Robert E. Lee was a great war hero and I am glad for what he did.

Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Son." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 385. Print.

"Meet Robert E. Lee." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 382. Print.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/