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Biographical Notes
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Robert Edward Lee
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In December 1860, Lee was ordered back to the Second Cavalry Regiment as the commander. Abraham Lincoln had been elected president and the Southern states were seriously considering succeeding from the Union. On January 22, 1861, Lee wrote to a friend that "If the Union is dissolved I will return to Virginia and share the fortune of my people." On February 1, 1861, a convention was held in Texas that declared Texas to be an independent republic. On February 4, 1861, Delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Florida held a convention that wrote a constitution, elected a provisional president, and resolved themselves into a provisional congress. While this was happening Lee received orders to report immediately to Winfield Scott in Washington D.C. He left Fort Mason on February 13 and arrived in Arlington on March 1. Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4 and Lee called on Scott shortly thereafter. It is not now known what transpired between the two men, but it is assumed that Lee explained his intention to follow the course of action that his state of Virginia decided was proper. He also accepted his promotion to full colonel with command of the Ist Cavalry Regiment. Confederate Secretary of War Leroy Pope Walker offered to commission Lee in the Confederate Army as a brigadier general. Lee declined. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter and the garrison surrendered on April 14. On April 15, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to quell the rebellion and Jefferson Davis called for 100,000 volunteers to defend the South. On April 18 Lee met with Francis P. Blair, a close confidant of Lincoln, and with Winfield Scott. Both men offered Lee field command of the United States Army. Lee declined the offer. On April 17 Virginia had joined the Confederacy and Lee learned of it on April 19. On April 20 Lee wrote to Secretary of War Simon Cameron and resigned his commission. He also wrote to Scott and explained his decision to resign.
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On April 22, 1861, Lee met with Virginia Governor John Letcher in Richmond, Virginia, and accepted command of all of Virginia's land and naval forces as well as a commission as a major general in the Virginia Militia. At the time, Lee repeatedly wrote to friends and relatives that he was "prepared to sacrifice anything to preserve the Union - except honor." In his mind honor did not permit him to desert family, friends, and community. He believed that slavery was evil, but felt that the North did not have the right to meddle with the internal affairs of the Southern States. He felt that the North had abused the South and that Northern radicals had taken over the government in Washington D.C. He believed that secession was not constitutional, but the de-facto secession of Virginia made that legalistic point irrelevant. He immediately turned to the task of mobilization and within a short time had a force of 40,000 troops, 115 field artillery pieces, 15 coastal defense batteries, and one ship available in Virginia He had to move his family out of Arlington as being too close to Washington D.C, and it was soon taken over by federal troops. The family was dispersed throughout Virginia. On May 29, 1861, Confederate President Jefferson Davis moved his capital from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond. On June 8, Governor Letcher announced that all of Virginia's military forces were being integrated into the new Confederate military. Lee was a general in the Virginia Militia without an assignment in the Confederate Army. President Davis had a distinguished war record in the Mexican conflict, had served as Secretary of War in the antebellum government, and now involved himself directly in military affairs. At the same time he relied heavily on advice from his friend, Robert E. Lee.
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On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the war took place at Manassas (Bull Run). First Manassas was a clear Confederate victory and convinced many in the South that the war had been won or at least was well on its way to being won. Lee counseled otherwise. His dire warnings were considered by many Southern leaders as being defeatist in nature. This impression mitigated against giving him any command of troops, but at the same time President Davis obviously recognized his abilities. Union forces had won an important battle at Corrick's Ford in western Virginia, and Confederate forces were not well organized there. Without giving him any specific command authority, Davis sent Lee to see if he could stabilize the situation. On August 31, the Confederate Congress confirmed five full generals in the Confederate Army. They were (in order of seniority): Samuel Cooper, Albert Sydney Johnson, Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnson, and Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Lee spent three months trying to improve the military situation in western Virginia, but did not accomplish much. On his return to Richmond on October 31, many thought him too timid and some referred to him as "Granny Lee." On November 6, Lee was ordered to Coosawhatchie to become the Military Department Commander for the southern coastal region (South Carolina, Georgia and Eastern Florida). On February 7, Federal troops landed on Roanoke Island in North Carolina and a few days later Forts Henry and Donelson on the Tennessee River were taken by General Ulysses S. Grant. In the north General McClellan was assembling a massive force in preparation of driving on Richmond.
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On March 2, 1862, President Davis ordered Lee to meet with him in Richmond. Speculation had it that he was to be appointed Secretary of War in place of Judah P. Benjamin. On March 14, Lee was "charged with the conduct of military operations in the armies of the Confederacy." The exact nature of this position was not clarified, but it did not give him "command" of anything. On April 16, 1862, the Confederate Congress adopted the Conscription Act which had been drafted by Lee. On April 12, Lee combined smaller Confederate units to create the principal Confederate Army in Virginia. Command was given to General Joseph E. Johnson. In subsequent maneuvering between Confederate and Union forces Lee acted as a middleman between Johnson and Davis, providing advice to both but not commanding anything. The situation on the ground continued to worsen for the Confederacy and as Lee wrote to his wife "the enemy is pressing us on all sides." As federal troops closed in on Richmond relations between Johnson and Davis deteriorated. On May 31, in the Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines) near Richmond, Johnson was seriously wounded. On June 1, 1862, Davis replaced Johnson with Lee. One of Lee's first actions was to rename the army The Army of Northern Virginia. He next broke contact with the enemy and regrouped along a defensive line in front of Richmond. There he ordered his men to concentrate on improving the entrenchments. For the troops "Granny Lee" had become the "King of Spades." Lee then reorganized his army, changed command relationships and, even though Confederate troops strength did not match the federal force that they faced, developed an audacious plan of attack.
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The first element of Lee's plan resulted in the Seven Days campaign which involved battles at Mechanicsville, Gaines Mill, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, and Malvern Hill. The Confederate campaign was successful in driving the Union forces back from the gates of Richmond, but resulted in fearful losses on both sides. Lee understood that the South did not have the resources necessary to best the North in a protracted war. Accordingly, he concluded that the only way for the South to accomplish its political objectives was to win quickly and decisively on the battlefield. He drew heavily on his experience in Mexico where he saw Scott's inferior numbers repeatedly defeat Santa Anna's larger force. He felt that audacity and surprise could go a long way to make up for inferior numbers, particularly if he could inspire his army to react quickly and with determination. The success of the Seven Days campaign was enthusiastically received by Southerners throughout the Confederacy and Lee's Army gained considerable respect for their commander. He was no longer "Granny Lee." Those commanders that he retained in the Army of Northern Virginia respected him greatly - in part because he did not often involve himself in attempting to direct actual battle. He left that almost entirely to them. If he found a commander not up to the task he had him transferred out of his command and replaced him with a man that could do the job more proficiently. At the same time, however, the massive federal army was still only 23 miles from Richmond and he realized that the Confederacy still had a lot of work to do if it was to be able to establish an independent nation.
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