Robert E Lee Childhood
Robert Lee was born on January 19 to Henry Lee (popularly referred to as “Light-Horse Harry”) and Ann Hill Carter in the year 1807 at Stratford. He hailed from a powerful family of the ruling Virginians during those times.
Lee’s father was a revolutionary hero himself and then became the governor of Virginia. He was quite preoccupied with political affairs and also faced financial difficulties as he did not know how to manage his wealth and assets well. Henry Lee died when Robert was very young and not so surprisingly, he had to fight a poor childhood and come up.
Robert Lee was not able to afford a traditional college education despite hailing from such a powerful wealthy family. Without much choice, he joined West Point and graduated in the year 1829. He was admired by his peers and he initially served the Engineering Corps.
Those days, intermarriage was quite common among the ruling families in Virginia. Three years after graduation from WestPoint Lee married Mary Anne Randolph Custis, his distant cousin. She hailed from a wealthy family. Her dad was a plantation owner and she was also the great-granddaughter of the renowned Martha Washington. She was a natural heiress to many plantation properties.
After taking up some routine assignments, Lee served the Mexican War where he came in contact with Gen. Winfield Scott. This was an opportunity for him to display his heroism and brilliance and he won accolades from General Scott. Lee suffered a stroke during September 1870 and died just two weeks later in Lexington on October 12.
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