At the start of the Civil War, President Lincoln offered Robert E. Lee command of the Union forces. His loyalty to Virginia compelled him to decline and he went on to become the beloved leader of the Confederate army. Because of Robert E. Lee's reputation in his early life, his strategies in wartime, and his loyalty to Virginia, he became an important figure in American History.
             Robert E. Lee was born January 19,1807 at his family plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was descended from an old and honored family that had played a distinguished role in Virginia's history. He was the fourth son of his father, Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, who was a cavalry officer during the American Revolution and a very close friend of George Washington. In most of his early years, his mother mainly raised him. She taught him patience, control, and discipline from her. By the time he was thirteen, he was at the Alexandria Academy. There he studied Latin, Greek and Mathematics.
             Due to a lack of funds, Lee got into the military academy known as West Point in New York. Because of his father, Lee got in with the help of five senators, three congressmen, and even some help came from meeting the future President, Andrew Jackson. After many years at the Academy, Robert E. Lee graduated from West Point second in his class. Throughout his years at West Point, his greatest success was his record of no demerits while being a cadet, which today has still been unequaled.
             On July 5, 1831, Robert E. Lee married Mary Curtis, the great Grand daughter of George Washington's Wife, Martha Washington. They had seven children together while they lived on their estate in Arlington, across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. After graduation from West Point, Robert E. Lee was given commission as an engineer. His first jobs were building roads and bridges for the American Army to travel on during the Mexican War. He also worked on ...