Happy 200th Birthday Robert E. Lee

deportliberals · Congressman Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 704

Last Jan 19 marked the 200th birthday of Robert E. Lee...one of the most esteemed and honorable men the South ever produced.

He was held in such high esteem that Abe Lincoln offered him command of the entire northern army just before hostilities broke out between the north & south. Robert Lee declined the offer saying he could never take up arms against his home, Virginia.

Out numbered and outgunned, Lee beat his northern opponents repeatedly with masterful field tactics and maneuvers that earned him the nickname, The Fox.

Winston Churchill said of him,..."Robert E. Lee, icon of the South, one of the noblest Americans who ever lived, and one of the greatest captains known to the annals of war." Close Quote

President Theodore Roosevelt said,..."Lee was without any exception the very greatest of all the great captains that the English-speaking peoples have brought forth." Close Quote

In Virginia, his home, we celebrate the birthday of this great man.

deportliberals · Congressman Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 704

An interesting factoid...as a direct result of Lee's battle tactics and the superior marksmanship of southern soldiers, the South killed almost 100,000 more yankee invaders than the North killed southerners.

Most people are not aware that although the South lost the war, they enjoyed a much higher kill rate against the North. Southern battle tactics and leadership were far superior to the North's.