Friday, April 8, 2011

Death and Funeral Rest in Peace

He was buried in the chapel at Washington College. After his death His eldest son was named president of the school and the school was renamed to Washington & Lee University.
After the Surrender Lee returned to Richmond and the home that his son had rented for himself and his friends at the war department. At this time the 7 Lee's lived there along with Robert's brother and his family and some of the general's staff stayed for a few days or so. The throng of people trying to see the general became burdensome to a man who wanted to rest after four years of fighting. A friend of the family offered a cottage called Derwent for them to retire too for several months. So the family packed up and left Richmond behind.

The General was offered many figurehead positions with incredible salaries but he refused to be a figurehead. So when the small school of Washington College offered him the position of president he thought it over and accepted the position. It was coincidences that his new school was literally right next to the school (VMI) that his eldest son was now teaching at. The family moved to Lexington, Virginia. The old president's house was small and so the general designed and had built a new presidents house which is still in use by the college president today. He also with help from his eldest son and another professor from the Virginia Military Institute designed the chapel for the school which is now known as Lee chapel.


The General stayed in Lexington until his death on October 12, 1870. He had returned from a church meeting and had a stroke. He was placed on a bed in the dinning room where he lingered for several days before passing.

Life at Home and War

That July 17, 1853 Lee and two of his daughters (Mary and Anne) were confirmed at the chancel of Christ Church in Alexandra. That was not the beginning of General Lee's strong faith but it was an important moment in it. He seemed to be even more dedicated to his faith and God. To truly understand General Lee you must also include his faith in God.

When the family returned that fall it was with Mr. Custis in tow as well as the two girls that had been left behind the year before. Mr. Custis returned home after several months of missing his beloved Arlington.

Lee Had much more time for studies and family during this time. He made it a point to know all the cadets by name and their placement in their classes. He was quite unfortunate that he was superintendent when his nephew was caught off campus and returning from the notorious Benny Haven's Tavern. Lee recommended court-martial so as to not show favoritism to his mischievous Nephew, Fitzhugh Lee, Even though he was the son of his closest brother Sydney Smith Lee.

March of 1855 the congress created two new regiments of Cavalry. Lee was to be Lt. Colonel of the 2nd US Cavalry in Texas. This meant leaving his family behind in Virginia. Lee did not like the change from Engineering corps to line officer. But he was as far as he could go in the engineering corps, so off he went to Texas. Most of his time in the 2nd cavalry was spent being assigned to duty on court-martials. On October 10, 1857 Lee's father-in-law died. Lee returned home to direct the affairs of the estate since there was no male at home to do so. His eldest was assigned to a fort in California, his second son was now commissioned in the army and was out west somewhere, and the youngest boy was too young to deal with these matters.

Lee returned home November 11, 1857 he was shocked at his wife's condition. She was practically an invalid. She got around on crutches or on really bad days a wheel chair and Mr. Custis had left the estate in poor repair. He had left Arlington House to his eldest grandson on the demise of his mother. He also had two other plantations which he deeded to his other two grandsons. To his four granddaughters he had intended to leave $10,000 each, which there was no money to give to the girls. Lee set forth to making Arlington Self sustaining so that his daughters would eventually get their inheritance. During this time even though he was on leave he was still called to duty for court-martials.

On October 17,1859 Lee was called on by JEB Stuart to report to the war department immediately. He decided since they said immediately, he would not change and therefore arrived at the war department in civilian attire. He was then sent to Harper's Ferry to deal with the insurrection of John Brown. JEB Stuart had volunteered to be his aide. He meet up with a detachment of Marines from the Washington Navy yard. Lee sent a note by way of Stuart and when the terms were refused Stuart waved his hat signaling the Marines to break down the door and capture the insurrectionists.

His eldest son soon received a transfer to Washington which enabled Lee to return to his Cavalry. Though he could not leave for several months do to the fact that he had to testify at the trail of John Brown. On February 10, 1860 Lee left for Texas to rejoin his regiment. He returned home to Arlington March 1,1861. He received a promotion to full colonel and later was offered the command of the Federal Army. Lee turned down the offer. On April 20, 1861 he resigned his commission determined to remain out of the struggle as long as Virginia did. The day that Virginia seceded the house at Arlington was unusually quiet. The family mourned as if a family member had died.

Shortly after Virginia seceded Lee was offered the command of the Virginia Military. He saw to it that they were trained, clothed and equipped as best as he could. Weapons were scarce as was ammunition. Considering that the South had little to no factories Lee did his best to outfit as many as he could.

Shortly there after Lee's Virginia Forces were turned over to the Confederate government. He was a General without an Army. He became a military advisor to President Davis. He had a failed campaign in the fall of 1861 in Western Virginia. The failure was not entirely his fought though Lee took the blame for it. Shortly after that campaign he was sent to South Carolina and Georgia to strengthen their coastal defenses as best he could.

In early 1862 President Davis sent for him to return to Richmond. Lee served again as an Advisor to the president. He tried to get good laws passed that would strengthen the army. The congress usually passed the mutilated law so it wouldn't help anybody. Due to the wounding of General Joseph Johnston at seven pines, General Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, 1862. He would remain in command until he surrendered his army at Appomattox court house on April 9, 1865.

Life at home

After his duty at Fort Monroe, Lee was assigned to Washington, DC, bringing his wife Mary and their new son back to Arlington House. Robert Lee spent the next several years traveling for the Engineering Corps - mapping out the state borders in Michigan, saving the St. Louis port from being enclosed by sand bars, and assigned to Fort Hamilton, NY for a period of time. By this time all seven of their children were born and remarkably, Mrs. Lee was able to return home to Arlington House to have all but one of the children. Robert barely had time to greet his youngest child before he was sent off to fight in the Mexican War.

During the Mexican War, Captain Lee served on the staff of General Winfield Scott, distinguishing himself many times as a scout, including his discovery of a path through a lava field to allow Scott's Army to surround the Mexican Army. Robert Lee came out of the Mexican War with the rank of Brevet Colonel.

Upon returning to Arlington from the Mexican War, he was assigned to Baltimore to build Fort Carroll. While serving in Baltimore, his eldest son began his career in the military by becoming a Cadet at West Point. Lee shortly thereafter was assigned as superintendent of West Point, a position he initially refused. On September 1, 1852, Lee reported for duty as the 9th Superintendent of West Point Military Academy, just as his oldest son was starting his 3rd year as Cadet, and his Nephew was just beginning his first year when he took over as superintendent. The Family came with him with the exception of two of the girls that were being tutored at Arlington. Near the end of the term his Mother-in-law died and his wife left him and the children to help her father. The family joined her that summer.

Graduation and Marriage

Shortly after his graduation he returned to Virginia to find his mother very ill, much worse then when he last saw her, nursing her until her death on July 10, 1829. She was buried at Ravensworth Plantation and was later moved in 1913 (along with her husband Henry Lee) to Lexington, Virginia after the Lee family crypt was established at Washington & Lee University. In August 1829, Robert Lee received orders to report to Cockspur Island in Georgia to help with the building of fort Pulaski there. In April of 1831 he was transferred to Old Point for another engineering project. As this time in history, the US Corps of Engineers was overwhelmed with projects in order to quickly build up the fortifications of the fledgling nation. On June 30, 1831 Robert married Miss Mary Anna Randolf Custis, daughter of George Washington Parke Custis who was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington. At the death of G. W. P. Custis' parents he had been adopted by George Washington. He built a grand home on a hill over looking the Potomac river, which is now known as Arlington House in the middle of Arlington National Cemetery. Miss Custis' mother was kin of the Lee family, Mrs. Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis. After the traditional wedding and wedding visits the young couple settled into married life at Fort Monroe while the groom worked on Fort Calhoun on the water.

Life and Times

After his duty at Fort Monroe, Lee was assigned to Washington, DC, bringing his wife Mary and their new son back to Arlington House. Robert Lee spent the next several years traveling for the Engineering Corps - mapping out the state borders in Michigan, saving the St. Louis port from being enclosed by sand bars, and assigned to Fort Hamilton, NY for a period of time. By this time all seven of their children were born and remarkably, Mrs. Lee was able to return home to Arlington House to have all but one of the children. Robert barely had time to greet his youngest child before he was sent off to fight in the Mexican War.

During the Mexican War, Captain Lee served on the staff of General Winfield Scott, distinguishing himself many times as a scout, including his discovery of a path through a lava field to allow Scott's Army to surround the Mexican Army. Robert Lee came out of the Mexican War with the rank of Brevet Colonel.

Upon returning to Arlington from the Mexican War, he was assigned to Baltimore to build Fort Carroll. While serving in Baltimore, his eldest son began his career in the military by becoming a Cadet at West Point. Lee shortly thereafter was assigned as superintendent of West Point, a position he initially refused. On September 1, 1852, Lee reported for duty as the 9th Superintendent of West Point Military Academy, just as his oldest son was starting his 3rd year as Cadet, and his Nephew was just beginning his first year when he took over as superintendent. The Family came with him with the exception of two of the girls that were being tutored at Arlington. Near the end of the term his Mother-in-law died and his wife left him and the children to help her father. The family joined her that summer.

Robert Edward Lee

Robert Edward Lee

(January 19, 1807 - October 12, 1870)