Epic Battles: Confederate Command

Robert E. Lee: The son of ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee, an officer who served in a previous rebellion, Robert Edward Lee graduated top in his class at West Point at the start of his military career. He was an accomplished officer and had served across the country and provided staunch service during the Mexican War. When Virginia seceded Lee felt bound to his native state and resigned his commission in the Regular Army, offering his services to Virginia and the fledgling Confederacy. Famously, Lee was offered command of the Union forces about to head south, but felt honour bound and declined. During the next four years he proved to be one of the greatest battlefield commanders and tacticians of his age. He invaded the North late in ’62 and held McClellan again at Sharpsburg (Antietam). On the strategic defensive in early ’63 he defeated The Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville in May where Jackson fell. On the offensive in June he led his army into Pennsylvania and the climactic battle of