The Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee

These pages gather the letters and recollections of Robert E. Lee, the man who led Confederate forces during the American Civil War. His son assembled the material after his father's death. It moves from Lee's early years as an army engineer and his service in the Mexican War, through his time as superintendent at West Point, to his decision to leave the United States Army when Virginia joined the secession. Readers follow his wartime letters to his wife and children, his views on the battles and commanders he worked with, and his concern for his family and property. The later chapters turn to his quieter years as president of a college in Lexington, where he looked after students, rebuilt the institution, and urged patience on a defeated South.