“Do your duty in all things. You can't wish for more, you should never wish for less. In every aspect of his life, Robert E. Lee exceeded all expectations of what it means to be a true American hero. During his service in the Mexican War, his dedication to our country and his respect for our soldiers was unquestioned by any other American general. Lee was also balanced in his life and spent much of his time writing letters to his family to show them that he still thought they were valuable in his life, even if he couldn't always be with them . Although during the Civil War Lee's motives for wanting to fight for the South were questioned, he fought fairly and always wanted to be sure his reasons were clear; even while admitting defeat, he treated others with a respect rarely found in today's generals. Robert E. Lee was an American hero, a man of great integrity, and the finest general of the Civil War whose great accomplishments far eclipse anything that could be said against him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Lee's military career began with the start of the Mexican-American War. Lee had just graduated from West Point with excellent grades and no demerits in his academic record. He began as an engineer under U.S. Army Commanding General Winfield Scott, establishing key artillery points and finding strategic routes for troops. Scott was very impressed with Lee's work, especially during the Battle of Contreras, when Lee did the unthinkable and crossed the Pedregal over rough and dangerous terrain at night with almost no lights to guide his path after seven of Scott's men failed in this same task. This act not only ensured the victory of the American army, but also proved his unerring integrity in his ability to follow through on what he had promised to do, even though he could have easily given up, just like the others American scouts. This courageous action also earned Lee the recognition of Scott who later said: "But the gallant and indefatigable Captain Lee, of the engineers, who has been constantly with the task forces, has just arrived from Shields, Smith, Cadwallader , etc., for report, and request that a powerful diversion be made against the center of the entrenched camp tomorrow morning. » Winfield Scott is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in Lee's military career and, in some ways, could be considered Lee's military hero whom Lee admired. Scott greatly and in his resignation to Scott he said: "I will take with me to the grave the most grateful memories of your kind consideration, and your name and fame will always be dear to me, except in the defense of my native State . I never want to draw my sword again. Please accept my most sincere wishes for your continued happiness and prosperity and believe me to be completely yours. » Lee's public recognition began with Winfield Scott because at that time he was one of the most prestigious generals in the United States and he praised Lee, which sparked renewed public interest in this young engineer. Scott not only contributed to Lee's popularity, but was also one of Lee's greatest educators on matters of war. Lee was a very devoted disciple of Scott who learned a lot simplywatching it and applying them with great success. Lee adopted many of Scott's traits, the need to delegate responsibilities, the need to fight boldly and lead a skilled staff.[3] Lee is also very popular for his flank attack which Scott often used and throughout the Civil War battles we see Lee use this same tactic time and time again. Lee's application of these necessary principles is what gave him such a head start during the Civil War. Choosing sides in the Civil War was by far one of the most difficult choices Robert E. Lee ever had to make. He was torn between the decision to preserve the union he loved or to protect his home state of Virginia at all costs. "Except for the defense of my native state, I desire never again to draw my sword."[4] Lee was first approached by a Lincoln representative named Blair who asked him to command the troops in the defense of Washington DC. Lee, refused the offer on the spot, then went directly to Winfield Scott and resigned his commission in the United States Army. “Since my interview with you on the 18th, I have felt that I should no longer retain my commission in the United States Army. Army. I therefore present my resignation, which I ask you to recommend for acceptance. of Virginia. Lee grew up in Virginia and lived there his entire life with his parents, siblings, or wife and children. Lee saw that the conflict between the North and South would end in war and although he was against the separation of the union and although he was against the separation of the union, he saw civil war as an excellent opportunity to prove yourself in the military field. In April 1861, Fort Sumter was attacked by the Confederate States and the Civil War began. Lee began as chief military advisor to Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, less than 100 miles from the Union capital of Washington, DC. On October 22, 1861, General Joseph Johnston, a former classmate of Lee's at West Point and, like Lee, he was one of seven children. 6] Lee was later promoted to general in the Army of Virginia to defend his home state. During the first months as a general, Lee was very passive, which caused a lot of popular disapproval from people in the southern states and they nicknamed him "Granny Lee"[7] due to his weakness perceived. Lee ultimately proved them wrong during the seven-day battle against Union General George McClellan. McClellan was nearing the end of his campaign on the peninsula whose main objective was to conquer the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. This was one of Lee's first missions: the defense of Richmond and where he proved all the "Granny Lee" southerners wrong. The Seven Day War was by far the most humiliating Union defeat of the entire Civil War. General McClellan was just outside the Confederate capital and could have put a stop to it, but it was too late. General Lee used a flanking technique he had learned from Scott during the Mexican War and sent his troops to flank the Union soldiers to take them by surprise. By the end of the fights the results were clear, although Lee took a major risk in having Richmond leave to fight McClellan, it paid off. McClellan's troops were taken by surprise and suffered a horrific defeat at the hands of Confederate soldiers and were forced to retreat, giving Lee the perfect opportunity to invade the north.[8] It was a bold move, but Lee ultimately decided that to win the war he had to take it north in order to lower the morale of the citizens, which would cause their support for the war to weaken. All..