Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee was born in Born in Westmoreland county, January l'J, 1807. He was the .-on of General Henry Lee. - As a boy, Lee went to school in Alexandra. Like Eisenhower and Pershing, he graduated from West Point. Following his graduation ne v married Mary Custis.

As engineer for .the United States Army, he did important work at St. Loris and Hampton Roads. While fighting in the war with Mexico, he won marked distinction. At this time the Southern States were ‘ planning to secede- from the 'Union. Virginia decided to join this group of states which were known as the Confederate States of America.

Lee was appointed commander of tiie Southern Forces. His men fought hard but were out - numbered by the Federal soldiers which were in command of General tli ant. From the spring of 18(14 till the spring of 1865, he fought to save Richmond, the capital of the Confederate States. His supplies running low, and almost surrounded by the Federal Army, he was forced to surrender. The treaty of peace was signed in the Appamattox Court House on April 9, 1865. Lee had lost the war but he still had courage. For five years he worked and lived in Lexington, Virgin la: Lee died in 18 70. Lexington, the town in which he is buried, is visited by thousands of people each year.—Loring Anderson.

Character

Character, the basis of a person's being able to get through life, should be the greatest interest of everyone. Robert E. Lee, one of the most notable men of Virginia, won his reputation for his outstanding character. He had courage without l>eing boastful. Mlfny of us today who have or show courage are always boastful of it. Very often we see two hoys boasting about tneir strength or saying that they are not afraid to do something that sounds manly. It’s nice to have courage hut why not keep it to ourselves as Robert E. Lee did.

Today is Robert E. Lee's birthday and it would also be, a good day to -tart developing our character into the same kind of character Robert E. Iwe showed forth. Once in a while one of us will find that we think too much ■of ourselves without meaning to. Robert E. Lee had dignity without being lazy. Maybe it is too much to be expected to live the kind of life Robert E. Lee lived or to have the kind of character he had hut it’s not too much to expect of ourselves to try to build our character to that standard. Due to his character the South had absolute trust in him. They