LEE’S LEADERSHIP: A STUDY IN CHARACTER

Matthew Bonsall

MILS512 Great Military Leaders

August 11, 2011

Table of Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………………………4

Research Question ………………………………………………………4

Purpose Statement ………………………………………………………4

Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………5

Literature Review ………………………………………………………5

History ………………………………………………………………8

Analysis ………………………………………………………………18

1) Integrity ………………………………………………………18

2) Loyalty ………………………………………………………20

3) Duty ………………………………………………………21

4) Courage ………………………………………………………22

5) Selfless Service ………………………………………………23

Conclusion     ………………………………………………………………23

Bibliography ………………………………………………………………25

2

"The rank of men, as established by the concurrent judgment

of ages stands thus: heroes, legislators, orators, and

poets. The most useful and, in my opinion, the most

honorable is the legislator, which so far from being

incompatible with the profession of law, is congenial to it.

Generally, mankind admire most the hero; of all, the most

useless, except when the safety of a nation demands his

saving arm." -- Henry Lee

3

Introduction

Critics have sometimes depicted him [Lee] as a general

without an overall strategy, a brilliant practitioner who

lacked farsightedness.1 “Instead, Lee came to recognize

that the Confederacy had at best a long-shot chance to gain

independence. Lee knew that the imbalance of resources that

existed between the North and the South, coupled with the 1 (Joseph Harsh. Confederate Tide Rising: Robert E. Lee and the making of southern strategy, 1861-1862. (Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. 1998)

4

laws of mathematics, worked inexorably against his

country.”2

Lee was a brilliant military mind forged from a life

that commanded excellence. Despite the insurmountable odds

faced during the Civil War, Lee was able to accomplish what

others only dreamed of. A true leader, possessing character

that all American leaders of date emanate: integrity,

loyalty, courage, honor, selfless service and an

overwhelming sense of duty. Lee has been described by

Winston Churchill as "one of the noblest Americans who ever

lived."3

Research question

The basis of this paper is to answer the question:

“What leadership traits and experiences qualified Lee to

lead the Confederate Army?”

2 Joseph Harsh. Taken at the Flood: Robert E. Lee and Confederate strategy in the Maryland campaign of 1862. (Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. 1999) xiv

3 H. Crocker. Robert E. Lee on leadership: executive lessons in character, courage, and vision. (Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing. 1999)

5

Purpose statement

The purpose of this paper is to examine Robert E. Lee’s

life to determine why and how he became successful as a

military leader. Robert E. Lee was a masterful tactician in

the art of battlefield strategy. In doing so, this author

intends conduct a biographical analysis of Lee’s life to

determine why he was the logical choice to lead the

Confederate Army.

Hypothesis

This author hypothesizes that Lee was a brilliant

military mind. Lee’s success was the culmination of his

life’s experiences beginning with his childhood as the son

of a war hero. Lee’s time spent at West Point was crucial

in his development as a soldier and later as an

administrator, but his experiences in conflicts with the

Indians and Mexico coupled with his engineering endeavors

solidified Lee’s position as a leader.

Literature Review

6

The Civil War period of time is one of struggle and

triumph. Men from all walks of life would come to Virginia,

Maryland and Pennsylvania and lay their lives on the line,

quite literally, because of their personal ideology. They

followed a man who commanded respect. Lee, a Virginian, was

chosen to lead the Confederate Army and, as this paper will

reflect, his decisions were based on years of experience

leading up to this conflict.

L. Holly and Jeremy Martin in Leadership in Crisis: A historical

analysis of two college presidencies in Reconstruction Virginia4 primarily

focuses of the effect of Lee and Ewell, post surrender, as

university presidents at their respective institutions.

What Holly and Martin do provide is a brief biography of

Lee. With only a short paragraph on Lee’s youth Holly and

Marin turn the focus on Lee’s time spent at West Point, his

chosen career as an engineer, a note on the war with Mexico

and then to Lee’s return to West Point. Holly and Martin

write that “[T]hough firm with strict expectations

4 L. Neal Holly and Jeremy Martin. “Leadership in Crisis: A historical analysis of two college presidencies in Reconstruction Virginia”. Higher Education in Review, 9 (2012)

7

concerning conduct, Lee was always available to assist

cadets, especially those showing promise”5 which is fitting

due to the nature of the article. This article presents

brief insights to various times in Lee’s life which, in

conjunction with other sources, allows for a complete and

accurate representation of Lee.

Woodrow Wilson was a native of Virginia who witnessed

the effects of the war, although only as a youth. Like

others, Wilson describes Lee’s youth and presents a more

favorable view of Lee’s father. In his work, Robert E. Lee: An

Interpretation,6 Wilson makes note of Lee’s sacrifice and why he

chose the path that he did. Wilson also presents a few

outstanding single sentences through out his piece but one

in particular describing Lee possessing “none of the pomp of

the soldier, but all the simplicity of the gentleman.”7

Francis Adams, in Robert E. Lee and the Concept of Democracy,8

writes of Lee’s life in a similar fashion to most other

5 Ibid., 41. 6 Woodrow Wilson. “Robert E. Lee: An Interpretation”. Journal of Social Forces, 2. 3 (1924)7 Ibid., 322. 8 Francis Adams. “Robert E. Lee and the Concept of Democracy”. American Quarterly, 12. 3 (1960)

8

articles. Much of the article is of little value, at least

from the perspective to which this paper is to be written.

Where Adams primary focus is of democracy, he clearly

indicates that Lee was neither democratic nor political in

nature. Lee is a man of service dedicating a significant

portion of his life to the military. An un-conceptualizing

mind, Lee focuses on the “concrete and specific”9 with a

deep seated and valid realization that the Confederacy would

be defeated and that “he was fighting for the postwar self-

respect of his region.”10

Robert Lee, in Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee,11

writes of his father’s character. He states that Lee’s

achievements were attributed to not only his character but

his spirit and emotions. He makes references to his

childhood memories of Lee and describes Lee’s life as a

Captain of Engineers. Lee presents an understanding of his

elder in a manner that describes his greatness allowing for

9 Ibid., 367. 10 Ibid., 372.11 Robert Lee, Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee. (New York: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. 1904)

9

the reader to understand why Lee was so important for the

South.

A.L. Long, in Memoirs of Robert E. Lee,12 writes of his first

hand experience and knowledge of Lee’s campaigns as Lee’s

former Military Secretary. Long provides a review of Lee’s

youth and family lineage while moving to his time at West

Point. Long also covers Lee’s participation in the war with

Mexico and Indian campaigns in the west.

Douglas Freeman, in R.E. Lee A Biography,13 is one of the

primary resources of this paper. Freeman presents an

extensive view of Lee’s life, particularly in his first

volume, describing Lee's life before and subsequent to the

war between the States. His writings revealed Lee as in all

respects a man of normal impulses and of simple soul.14

There were no "secrets" and no scandals to be exposed or

explained. He further described his quiet life, as engineer

12 A.L. Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. (New York and Washington: J.M. Stoddart & Company. 1866) 13 Douglas Freeman, R. E. Lee: A Biography. (New York and London: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934) 14 Ibid., ix

10

and as educator which is pivotal in establishing Lee’s

character.

Lee’s history is an amazing journey in a time when

great men were judged, not by the ability to throw a

football or dazzle a crowd with song and dance, but by their

character. In this paper, Lee’s character will come to

light and it should become evident why many an aspiring

leader today emulates Lee.

History

“Robert Edward Lee, gentleman, scholar, gallant

soldier, great general, and true Christian, was born in

Westmoreland County, Stratford, Virginia, on January 19,

1807.”15 Lee was Ann Carter Lee's fourth child, named after

two of his mother's brothers, Robert and Edward Carter.16

Lee was the youngest of three sons born to General Henry

“Light Horse Harry” Lee, a cavalry leader and Revolutionary

War hero who won the praise of George Washington. Lee’s

15 Jefferson Davis. “Robert E. Lee”. The North American Review, 150. 398 (1890) 16 Freeman, R. E. Lee, 12

11

father, noted as “feckless”,17 “debt-ridden”18 and “a

powerful negative example for his sensitive son”19 died in

1812 from complications of injuries sustained during a riot

in Baltimore.20 Wilson,21 however, describes Lee’s father as

“one of the finest breed of those gallant soldiers who made

the country free”22 stating that the “lad in his boyhood

must have been bred to many memories of high deeds and too

many fine conceptions of patriotic service at the hearth

where his father sat.”23

Lee’s mother, Ann Hill Carter Lee was a member of

another old Virginia family, known primarily for its

wealth.24 Ann taught Lee to be “quiet and self-effacing”25

developing him into a “devout Christian who both shunned his

father's eighteenth-century skepticism and learned to

control his own longings for freedom.”26 Lee had said later

17 George Rable. “Robert E. Lee: A Biography by Emory M. Thomas”. The Journal of Southern History 62.4 (1996) 18 Ibid., 80919 Ibid., 20 Holly and Martin, “Leadership in Crisis”, 3821 Wilson, “Robert E. Lee: An Interpretation”, 32222 Ibid23 Ibid 24 Adams, “Robert E. Lee and the Concept of Democracy”, 36925 Rable, “Robert E. Lee”, 80926 Ibid

12

in his life that he owed everything to his mother as the

weakness of the sire became the strength of the son.27 The

Carter family was large and welcoming of Lee and provided a

multitude of close Carter cousins28 as there were a plethora

of descendants of “King” Carter.29

Lee followed suit, mimicking the social behaviors of

the Carter’s, even though he was likely too young to realize

this one key fact about his mother’s family. Public life

was not something that most Carter men aspired to. However,

the Carter women, as they married into other family lines,

were likely to become the mothers and grandmothers of a

“most extraordinary number of distinguished men.”30 With

the Carter family tree ever expanding, through marriages

outside the branches that formed the Carter connection, none

of them produced more than the average number of men of

superior intellect and achievement31 thus the Carter pride

was in the women.

27 Freeman, R. E. Lee, 2328 Ibid., 2429 Ibid30 Ibid., 2531 Ibid., 28

13

Lee was only eleven years old when his father passed.

With that, Lee was tasked with the responsibility of caring

for his entire family. Lee’s sister, Ann, the sibling to

whom he was most devoted, was continuously ill.32 His

mother would also prove to be in need of Lee’s attention.

At the age of thirteen, Lee entered the Alexandria

academy, having learned all that he could from home. The

academy, established in 1785 and had been privileged to list

Washington as one of its first trustees,33 and gave proof of

Washington’s influence in Lee’s life from childhood.34 Lee

excelled in mathematics35 which will prove valuable and

necessary in Lee’s military career. Lee completed his

studies in the latter part of 1823 and left the Alexandria

academy.36

Due to Lee’s father “leaving the family on questionable

financial footing”37 and without the money to attend

Harvard, as his oldest brother had, Lee instead pursued

32 Ibid., 3333 Ibid., 3634 Ibid., 2235 Ibid., 3636 Ibid., 3737 Holly and Martin, “Leadership in Crisis”, 38

14

entry to the United States Military Academy at West Point.38

With his love of mathematics and the promise of a free

education, this seemed to be a logical choice. The USMA did

not come without restriction. Applicants were to be between

fourteen and twenty years of age, and were at least four

feet, nine inches tall. Applicants must be free of physical

defects, able to read and write well, familiar with

arithmetic, and willing to sign articles to remain five

years in the army, including the four years of cadetship.39

All of these requirements Lee met, however the choice was

not his but that of the government as only 250 were accepted

based on Presidential choice at the recommendation of the

Secretary of War.40

In 1823 only six Virginians were accepted with thirty-

six being rejected.41 Fortunately for Lee, not only was he

the son of a Revolutionary War hero who had fought in

Secretary Calhoun’s native South Carolina, he also had the

endorsement of five senators and three representatives.42 38 Adams, “Robert E. Lee and the Concept of Democracy”, 36939 Freeman, R. E. Lee, 3840 Ibid 41 Ibid42 Ibid., 42

15

On March 11, 1825 Lee received notice that he was accepted

to West Point but would not be admitted until July 1st. 43

Indoctrination to West Point began immediately. Lee

had his preliminary examination before the academic board

and was assigned his tent in Camp Adams, respectfully named

in honor of the President. It wasn’t until June 28th that

the board’s decision was made and the applicants were

officially admitted to West Point.44 That evening, all

applicants formed in front of the barracks. They filed in

and stood at attention anxiously awaiting the calling of

their names. As they were called they would step forward

four steps in acknowledgement as did Cadet Lee.45

Lee’s duties were repetitious in both drill and

learning what not to do. No alcohol or tobacco consumption,

card playing, games, novels and essentially no fun. Reading

was strictly enforced as it was believed that too much

reading was actually bad for a soldier.46 For the first

year, the instruction given was nothing more than what Lee

43 Ibid., 4444 Ibid., 5045 Ibid., 5146 Ibid., 52

16

would or should have learned at an Army post under the

supervision of a good company commander47 but he was

developing a military bearing that would benefit him for

years to come.

Lee’s performance was recognized when in June of 1862

he was named Staff Sergeant, which was a high position for

any cadet completing his first year.48 He was given the

opportunity to teach, as an acting assistant professor, due

to his excellent mathematics skill and was even compensated

monetarily.49

Lee also excelled “through the school of the battalion

where he learned the duties of sergeants, drilling in the

exercise and maneuvers of artillery pieces”50 which was

comprised of five parts: “field fortification, permanent

fortification, the science of artillery, grand tactics, and

civil and military architecture.”51

47 Ibid., 5948 Freeman, R. E. Lee, 6249 Freeman 6450 Freeman 7051 Freeman 76

17

Lee graduated West Point second in his class52 four

years later without a single demerit. His soldierly bearing

and excellent conduct caused him in due succession to rise

through the several grades and to be the adjutant of the

corps of cadets when he was graduated.53 “By predilection

and training he concerned himself with the concrete and

specific; his was simply not a conceptualizing mind”,54

“[H]is mind led him to analytic rather than perceptive

methods for obtaining results.”55 Lee’s success can be

credited to his “guarded his independence by keeping his

thoughts and emotions to himself while carefully obeying the

rules.”56

After graduation, Lee received the appointment of

second lieutenant of Engineers and began his career on

seacoast defenses in engineering duty.57 After serving at

Old Point Virginia, where he remained for several years he

was transferred with a new title. In 1835 Lee was appointed52 Holly and Martin, “Leadership in Crisis”, 3853 Davis, “Robert E. Lee”, 5654 Adams, “Robert E. Lee and the Concept of Democracy”, 36755 Davis, “Robert E. Lee”, 56 56 Rable, “Robert E. Lee”, 81057 A. Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. (New York and Washington: J.M. Stoddart & Company. 1866) 29

18

assistant astronomer on the commission for marking out the

boundary-line between Ohio and Michigan.58 A year later Lee

was promoted to First Lieutenant and in 1838 was made

captain in the Engineer corps.59 In 1836-37, then

Lieutenant Lee was stationed at Washington as assistant to

Chief Engineer Colonel Gratiot60 before being promoted to

Captain of Engineers in 1838.61 In 1842 Lee was transferred

to Fort Hamilton in New York harbor where he spent several

years modernizing its defenses.

In 1846, when the war between the United States and

Mexico erupted, Lee sought the opportunity to maximize his

training and experience and in practical education in the

art of war.62 “It was in this campaign that Robert E. Lee

bore a prominent part, and in which he gained great

distinction both as an able engineer and as a gallant and

daring soldier.”63

58 Ibid., 3159 Ibid., 3460 Ibid., 3661 Ibid., 4462 Ibid63 Ibid., 46

19

Lee, under the command of General Scott, volunteered

his services in reconnaissance to locate and confirm the

rumor of Santa Anna’s approach through the mountains.64

Conducting his mission with only the assistance of a native

tracker, Lee located tracks but no evidence of military

movement i.e. artillery. Knowing the great possibility of

the tracks belonging to a reconnaissance party Lee knew the

information he possessed was valuable but he was not content

to return without more. He continued on to locate the

picket posts which he sought but never found them, assuming

that he simply missed them however he stumbled on what

appeared to be the enemy army. Lee returned with this

news.65 Lee’s expedition would be recalled later in letters

that identified him as courageous.

General Scott, in praise of Lee wrote:

“Reconnaissance’s were pushed in search of some

practicable route other than the winding, zigzag road

among the spurs of mountains, with heavy batteries at

every turn. The reconnaissance’s were conducted with

64 Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. 5065 Ibid

20

vigor under Captain Lee at the head of a body of

pioneers, and at the end of the third day a passable

way for light batteries was accomplished without

alarming the enemy, giving the possibility of turning

the extreme left of his line of defense and capturing

his whole army, except the reserve, that lay a mile or

two higher up the road. Santa Anna said that he had not

believed a goat could have approached him in that

direction. Hence the surprise and the results were the

greater."66

In his report of the battle at Cerro Gordo, General

Scott writes:

“I am compelled to make special mention of Captain

R. E. Lee, Engineer. This officer was again

indefatigable during these operations in reconnoissance

as daring as laborious, and of the utmost value. Nor

was he less conspicuous in planting batteries and in

conducting columns to their stations under the heavy

fire of the enemy.”67

66 Ibid., 5167 Ibid., 53

21

The reconnaissance, which General Scott writes about

regarding Cerro Gordo, was when Lee worked past his support

and wondered into enemy territory. Lee was forced to take

cover and remain concealed to avoid notice or capture. In

doing so, the enemy combatants passed nearby, so close that

Lee could hear their conversations.68 Long69 makes the point

of stating that “[E]arly in these operations Captain Lee had

been appointed on the personal staff of General Scott, who

had the greatest confidence in his judgment and ability, and

was always strongly influenced by his opinion in council.”70

Lee went on to provide reconnaissance for Pierce’s

brigade and ultimately in command of two troops, the Second

Dragoons and the Rifles, to the support of the left wing of

the contest which ended in the repulse of the enemy and a

brilliant victory for General Scott's army.71 In the

following victory, September 8th at Molino del Rey, Lee was

wounded and fainted, but his heroics did not go without

notice. General Scott speaks highly of Lee again in writing

68 Ibid69 Ibid70 Ibid71 Ibid., 60

22

that Lee performed in a manner “as distinguished for

felicitous execution as for science and daring"72 and that

“Captain Lee, so constantly distinguished, also bore

important orders from me until he fainted from a wound and

the loss of two nights' sleep at the batteries."73

After the war with Mexico ended, Lee returned home to

resume his duties in the Corps of Engineers where he

established fortifications at Hampton Roads, New York harbor

and Baltimore.74 Upon his return, Lee, as described by

Jefferson Davis on November 3, 1870, to have:

“come from Mexico crowned with honors, covered by

brevets, and recognized, young as he was, as one of the

ablest of his country's soldiers. And to prove that he

was estimated then as such, not only by his associates,

but by foreigners also, I may mention that when he was

a captain of Engineers, stationed in Baltimore, the

Cuban Junta in New York selected him to be their leader

in the revolutionary effort in that island.”75

72 Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. 6073 Ibid74 Ibid., 7175 Ibid., 73

23

Lee spent three years in construction when in September

of 1852, then Colonel Lee, was appointed as the

superintendent of the Military Academy of West Point where

he had graduated twenty-three years earlier.76 Lee’s time

at West Point was productive as his administration was

declared highly efficient and successful.77 Lee became

known as a “strict disciplinarian and nearly expelled his

own nephew, Fitzhugh Lee, on account of poor grades and

behavior.”78 Lee remained steadfast and “improved the

discipline of the Academy and brought it up as a military

institution to a higher proficiency than it had ever

previously attained.”79 Along with physical improvements to

the Academy and its surroundings, the course of study also

received an overhaul. However, this position wasn’t ideal

for Lee as he desired to be a line officer working in the

field and viewed his current position as an “administrative

desk position.”80

76 Davis, “Robert E. Lee”, 64; Holly and Martin, “Leadership in Crisis”,4077 Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. 7378 Davis, “Robert E. Lee”, 6479 Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. 7380 Holly and Martin, “Leadership in Crisis”, 40

24

In 1855, with Indian uprisings in the west, Lee, who

was highly distinguished81 in Mexico, was chosen to lead one

of the two newly formed regiments that were tasked with the

American response. Lee was sent to Texas to defend settlers

and domesticated Indians against the Comanche’s, the

Apaches, and their kindred tribes.82 The Comanche’s were

known to murder and pillage “the defenseless inhabitants,

and then returning to their strongholds with immense

booty.”83 The United States made efforts to suppress

“Indian depredations”84 and Lee was in the thick of it. It

is written that “[S]hortly afterward Colonel Lee with five

companies made an expedition to the head-waters of the

Brazos and Wachita rivers, which occupied him several

months. The principal result of this expedition was the

acquisition of geographical information.…”85 Other than a

trip back to Arlington to tend to his father-in-laws

funeral, Lee remained in Texas until the autumn on 1859

81 Long, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. 7482 Ibid., 7583 Ibid84 Ibid85 Ibid., 78

25

when, while in Washington on business, John Brown began to

wreak havoc at Harper’s Ferry.

In October 1859, John Brown, along with a party of

sixteen whites and five blacks,86 “invaded Virginia, and

seized the Government arsenal and other buildings at

Harper's Ferry, with a desperate boldness that created the

greatest consternation in the town and the surrounding

country.”87 Since Lee was already in Washington he was

summoned to lead a battalion of Marines to retake Harper’s

Ferry. Brown had failed in stirring up support from local

slaves but did, however, manage to take hostages. When Lee

arrived he established a perimeter around the armory and

sent J.E.B. Stuart with a flag of truce to demand the

surrender of the insurgents, promising to protect them and

secure them a legal trial.88

Brown countered, refusing to surrender, by demanding

that he and his men were allowed to walk out with his

prisoners until he reached a certain point at which time he

86 Ibid., 8587 Ibid88 Ibid., 86

26

would release them. Lee denied this request and Brown

responded by informing Lee that, if attacked, the hostages

would be killed. Lee formulated a plan of attack. When

ordered, the Marines, with stealth and speed, would storm

the building and overwhelm the occupiers. “The marines

rushed upon the door, forced it in, captured the building,

and released the hostages uninjured.”89 As Lee later writes:

“Waited until daylight, as a number of citizens

were held as hostages whose lives were threatened.

Tuesday about sunrise, with twelve marines under

Lieutenant Green, broke in the door of the engine-

house, secured the insurgents, and released the

prisoners unhurt All the insurgents killed or mortally

wounded but four— John Brown, Stevens, Coppie, and

Shields."90

Analysis

As stated previously, Lee exhibited a number of

desirable characteristics. It is these characteristics that

89 Ibid90 Ibid., 87

27

this author believes is what made him a great leader. In

order to understand Lee, one must understand the

characteristics and how Lee exhibited them.

1) Integrity

“No nation can safely trust its martial honor to

leaders who do not maintain the universal code which

distinguishes between those things that are right and

those things that are wrong” -- General Douglas

MacArthur91

“Integrity is one of those words which many people

keep in that desk drawer labeled “too hard.” It’s not

a topic for the dinner table or the cocktail party.

You can’t buy or sell it. When supported with

education, a person’s integrity can give him something

to rely on when his perspective seems to blur when

rules and principles seem to waiver, and when he’s

faced with hard choices of right or wrong” – James

Stockdale92

91 Coffey, “No nation…”, 9592 James Bond Stockdale, "The World of Epictetus," Atlantic, April 1978, p. 99

28

Integrity is the hallmark of an officer. This

characteristic is critical in obtaining trust and respect.

It is expected, not only in the military and of its leaders,

but in society in general. There are two critical

components of integrity. First, one must adhere to a moral

or ethical principle. This means, not that by simply

complying with set rules one is morally or ethically sound,

but rather the person understands the reasoning behind the

compliance. The second component consists of the ability

and desire to improve on ones faults. People do the wrong

things on occasion, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that

they do not possess morals or ethics so long as they strive

to learn from those mistakes and improve.

Good leaders admit mistakes and take responsibility for

their actions. During the Battle at Gettysburg, [W]hen it

became clear after Pickett’s charge that his army had

suffered a disastrous defeat, Lee openly told his men, “All

this has been my fault. It is I who have lost the

fight. . . .”93

93 Ronald Fogleman. The Leadership-Integrity Link. Concepts for Air Force Leadership (2001): 39. Accessed August 12, 2014,

29

An often cited example of integrity is about Lee after

the Civil War when Lee was offered $10,000 a year to become

president, in name only, of an insurance company. Lee

declined the offer with these words, “Excuse me, sir; I

cannot consent to receive pay for services I do not

render.”94 Both of these notes exemplify integrity and

describe what Lee had become.

2) Loyalty

“Loyalty is the big thing, the greatest battle

asset of all. But no man ever wins the loyalty of

troops by preaching loyalty. It is given him by them

as he proves his possession of the other virtues” --

Brigadier General S. L. A. Marshall95

“There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from

the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/fogleman.pdf94 Lucia Johnson. Aspects of Professionalism 1: Integrity, Competency, Ethical Behavior. (2007): 4. Accessed August 12, 2014, https://www.ncctinc.com/documents/Aspects of Professionalism 1.pdf95 S. L. A. Marshall, Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command in Future War (Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1978), 200.

30

even more necessary and much less prevalent -- General

George S. Patton96

Loyalty, the word itself, can be found in some of the

earliest writings and is significant in military culture. A

loyal person has a sense of allegiance and devotion and

often results in a sense of mutual respect. Failure to

exhibit this trait especially at a time of crisis and, as it

relates to the military, is tantamount to treason. Lee’s

superiors and subordinates alike had no question that Lee

was loyal. He served faithfully, without question, and led

by example. In the war between the Unites States and

Mexico, Lee displayed bravery and military skills which led,

not only to promotion but, recognition. In his service to

this country, Lee’s loyalty to and love for the United

States became evident with his life service as a soldier.

To further state Lee’s loyalty is Lee’s letter of

resignation to General Scott:

Arlington, Va., April 

20, 1861

96 George S. Patton, Jr., War as I Knew It (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,1975), 366

31

General:

Since my interview with you on the 18th inst.

I have felt that I ought no longer to retain my

commission in the Army. I therefore tender my

resignation, which I request you will recommend for

acceptance. I would have presented it at once, but for

the struggle it has cost me to separate myself from a

service to which I have devoted all the best years of

my life and all the ability I possessed.

During the whole of that time — more than a

quarter of a century — I have experienced nothing but

kindness from my superiors and a most cordial

friendship from my comrades. To no one, General,

have I been as much indebted as to yourself for uniform

kindness and consideration, and its has always been my

ardent desire to meet your approbation. I shall carry

to the grave the most grateful recollections of your

kind consideration, and your name and fame will always

be dear to me.

32

Save in defense of my native State, I never desire

again to draw my sword.

Be pleased to accept my most earnest wishes for

the continuance of your happiness and prosperity, and

believe me, most truly yours,

R. E. Lee97

3) Duty

“I go anywhere in the world they tell me to go,

any time they tell me to, to fight anybody they want me

to fight. I move my family anywhere they tell me to

move, on a day’s notice, and live in whatever quarters

they assign me. I work whenever they tell me to

work.... And I like It” -- James H. Webb98

Duty is not just doing what is required by laws or

regulations but the desire to do the best that one can. It

is about going above and beyond what is expected and

anticipating what is necessary. On many occasions Lee

97 Freeman, R. E. Lee, 44298 James H. Webb, A Country Such as This (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, March 2001), 247.

33

volunteered his skills and services because he was not only

capable of completing the task but desired to be of use and

value. This is evidenced in his reconnaissance missions in

Mexico as well as his command and control at Harper’s Ferry

and many tedious, seemingly unimportant engineering ventures

in various locations.

4) Courage

“Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There

can be no courage unless you’re scared” -- Captain

Eddie Rickenbacker99

Courage is exemplified when one performs a task in the

face of adversity. One of the most difficult tasks in

leadership is the courage to identify and pursue that which

is most important. There is no question that Lee

personified courage, or at least what courage meant in the

mid to late 1800’s. In Audacity Personified: The Generalship of Robert

E. Lee,100 Peter Carmichael writes that “Lee came of age when

99 Coffey, “Courage is doing…”, 123100 Peter Carmichael. Audacity Personified: The Generalship of Robert E. Lee. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2003)

34

courage and aggressiveness defined manhood at the most

fundamental level. Without these qualities, no Southerner

could ever gain community acceptance as a man. On a

personal level, Lee probably believed that aggressiveness,

if properly channeled and governed responsibility, was the

defining characteristic of manhood.”101

5) Selfless service

“...[A]sk not what your country can do for you;

ask what you can do for your country” -- John F.

Kennedy102

Don Riley103 writes that that the selfless leader serves

his soldiers so he may better serve his unit and the nation.

To serve, you must give up your “self” and place the

concerns of others first. Selfless service is not just an 101 Carmichael, Audacity Personified, 4102 John Bartlett, ed., Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature (Boston: Little, Brownand Company, 1968), 1073.103 Don Riley. Serve Your Soldiers to Win. Concepts for Air Force Leadership. (2001): 289. Accessed August 12, 2014, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/riley.pdf

35

attitude—it is a lifestyle. Riley goes on to address Lee

writing that “[H]is (Lee) simplicity, devotion and humility

were well-known, and he had an immense effect on the morale

of the army104 citing Freeman who wrote:

“His methods were as simple as they were

effective. They reflected his own character and his

interest in the welfare of the men entrusted to him,

and in no sense did they bespeak any ordered,

calculating analysis of what would or would not inspire

soldiers. He rode frequently among the camps…Lee's

respect for the individuality of his men extended to

their wants and their duties. He was quick to defend

them against discrimination and against imposition.”105

Conclusion

It is difficult to compare Lee and his leadership with

that of today’s leaders. Simply put, the equipment,

education and technology we have today was non-existent in

his time. Lee was grounded by his faith, family and a firm

104 Riley, Serve Your Soldiers to Win, 289105 Freeman, R. E. Lee, 243

36

sense of duty and country. Lee’s effectiveness and success

is an accomplishment that has been written of by a number of

scholars and historians and still raises debate as to his

character and leadership. It is the view of this author

that Lee’s greatness is a direct result of his leadership

ability based on his life experience as hypothesized. Lee’s

character has been examined and it is obvious, not only in

general writings of Lee and his life, but in the praise and

recognition by many a great leader i.e. Jefferson Davis,

Woodrow Wilson etc.

“He sacrificed himself for the things that were

nearest, the things I have illustrated…He thought of

the neighbors; he knew that a man's nearest attachments

are his best attachments, and his nearest duties his

imperative duties.”106

Lee was devoted to his family evident early on as his

father, considered a war hero by some and somewhat of a

derelict by others, failed to provide. Lee stood by his

mother and other ill family members and took care of them.

106 Wilson, “Robert E. Lee: An Interpretation”, 324

37

With no money for traditional college, as his brother had

attended, Lee applied and was accepted to West Point where

he left his mark while attending and later as the

superintendent. Lee’s love for his country continued with

his long tenured service in many campaigns and in many

locations. Lee’s loyalty and dedication was demonstrated in

his service to both the Union and the Confederacy.

Lee’s mark has been left on this county and its

leaders. Honored and cherished by most while criticized but

understood by others has made Lee an everlasting topic of

greatness while discussing such things as leadership,

service, integrity, honor and tactics. His character is

further exemplified by numerous awards earned throughout the

country, and in various aspects of age, education and all

around achievement, in his name for both honor and

leadership. Despite personal feelings regarding the Civil

War, the true or perceived meaning behind it, or Lee

himself, Lee remains one of the finest leaders this country

has ever produced.

38

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