Robert E. Lee was a Confederate general; whose military genius was probably the greatest single factor in keeping the Confederacy alive through the American Civil War. Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Stratford, Virginia. He was the son of Revolutionary War hero, Henry Lee III. Lee was also a model cadet at the United States Military Academy, better known as West Point. During his time there, he was nicknamed the "Marble Statue" because of his …showed first 75 words of 467 total…

…showed last 75 words of 467 total…sons Americans." He then set out to work for a permanent union of the states. With some uncertainty he accepted the presidency of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, and there he made it a point to teach his students the character and knowledge he knew would be necessary to restore the South. On October 12, 1870, in Lexington, Virginia Robert E. Lee died of heart problems. After his death Washington College was renamed Washington and Lee University.