Robert E Lee
/ˌrɒbət iː ˈliː/
/ˌrɑːbərt iː ˈliː/
- Robert Edward Lee (1807-70) the leader of the armies of the Confederate States during the American Civil War. He was respected for his honour and kindness. General Lee won many battles against the larger Union armies, including the second battle of Bull Run and Chancellorsville. He lost at Gettysburg, however, and soon afterwards surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. Before the Civil War, Lee led US forces to arrest John Brown at Harpers Ferry. President Lincoln asked him to lead the US armies, but Lee was loyal to his state of Virginia and joined the South. After the war, he became President of Washington College, later named Washington and Lee College.