Robert
Edward Lee was born on January 19th, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia. Robert's
father was thrown in debtors jail many times for not paying on time. He was
introduced to war early in his life; his brother Sydney had shown him a cannon
ball and told him about the revolution. Mrs. Lee's stepson was old enough to
claim the mansion where they lived that his dead mother had gave to him in his
will. The Lee's left to live in Alexandria. Lee was brought up in a Christian
family. When Lee was 18, he went to West Point. There were only 6,000 other men
in the entire army. Later that year, Lee said goodbye to his mother and took a
stagecoach from Virginia to New York. At the end of his first year at West
Point, he was appointed Staff Sergeant. When he was twenty-two, he took his
money that he earned; $103.58 in cash and he started a home. On July 26, 1829,
Lee's mother died. Robert was at her bed when she died. Then on June 30, 1831
Lee married Mary Curtis. On September 16, 1832, Mary gave birth to George
Washington Curtis Lee. Then in 1835 they had their second child, Mary Curtis.
Mrs. Lee was put on bed-rest for many months due to illness. They had five more
children: William Henry Fitzgerald, Annie, Agnes, Robert and last Mildred. When
he was home, they all attended episcopal Church where he was raised. On May 13,
1846 the United States declared was on their southern neighbor. When Lee was 39,
he headed for Mexico. Lee's will said that he was worth about $38,750 with few
depts. He only had few slaves: Nancy and her children. And they were to be freed
"soon as it can be done to their advantage and that of others. On
Christmas, Lee wrote to his wife that he hoped this woul.d be the last time he
would be away from her. While they were at war, even though is was hard, he
attended church. He returned on June 29, 1843. On September 1, 1852 he was
appointed to superintenent of the military acadamy where he had graduated. In
1853, a distressing message reached Lee: Mrs. Curtis had died unexpectedly. The
death made him do something he had never thought of doing. He wanted to be
confined to the church. It was gunners at Charlestown Harbor who forced Robert
E. Lee to make the tough decisions in his life. On April 12, the United States,
as the union fired upon by Confederate gunners. The civil war began with the
first cannon roar at Fort Sumpter. The north had more of an advantage because
they have all of the military supplies and factories. The south was a land of
farmers without military supplies and hardly any money to buy them. Then one day
when Lee was in hid hotel, he had a visitor. He read a report of the supplies
coming into Richmond. 60,00 small arms, and 54,00 flintlocks. I July 21, 1861
they received a telegram that the south had won the first major battle of the
Civil War. One evening Lee looked up to see a soldier salute. "Major Rooney
Lee was fired upon by Union pickets, Sir, near Cheat Mountain. His companion,
Colonel Washington, died instantly. Union pickets put three Minie ball through
his body." Then Lee's face lost it's color. "Your son's mount was shot
from under him. Major Lee escaped on Washington's horse, sir." Lee sighed
in relief. Washington's death hit Lee. He was a good friend of the family. Lee
had been involved in the war for the whole time that it was going on. He had
many battles, and he was fighting very bravely and strong until the war ended.
He lived a happy life after the war was over.