Robert Edward Lee was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, toward the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Northern Virginia—the Confederacy's most powerful army—from 1862 until its surrender in 1865, earning a reputation as a skilled tactician.
Lee in March 1864
Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Lee's birthplace
Lee Corner on Oronoco Street in Alexandria, Virginia, a property owned by Lee
Lee at age 31 in 1838, as a Lieutenant of Engineers in the U.S. Army
General officers in the Confederate States Army
The general officers of the Confederate States Army (CSA) were the senior military leaders of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861–1865. They were often former officers from the United States Army before the Civil War, while others were given the rank based on merit or when necessity demanded. Most Confederate generals needed confirmation from the Confederate States Congress, much like prospective generals in the modern U.S. armed forces.
Robert E. Lee, the best known CSA general. Lee is shown with the insignia of a Confederate colonel, which he chose to wear throughout the war.
P. G. T. Beauregard, the Confederacy's first brigadier general, later the fifth-ranking general
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Huger, CSA
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, CSA