Critical Essay

Robert E. Lee, Confederate Commander by Jennifer Blizin Gillis is a biography of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The biography discussed the entire life of Robert E. Lee from birth to death. General Lee's remarkable life from his career at west point to his command of the Confederate army is elaborately reviewed in the biography. The biography showed how General Lee rose to fame and had as much military success as he did.

This biography was in very intriguing to anyone who enjoys studying U.S. History. Jennifer Blizin Gillis goes in great depth in describing the type of man and General that General Lee was. General Lee was a man of devout faith and sense of duty. Duty is what played into his decision into leading the Confederate Troops. He felt a greater sense of duty to protect his home state of Virginia, than to lead the Union Troops against it. Jennifer Gillis also did a fantastic job of including quotes about the general. For example: "No other youth ... so united the qualities that win warm friendship and command high respect. For he was full of sympathy and kindness, genial and fond of gay conversation, and even fun" this was Joseph E. Johnston a classmate, who later fought with Lee in the Civil War talking about General Lee.

The biography was one of the best biographies I have read on General Lee because it gave me an insight on what General Lee was like. The biography went into such detail that I felt like I knew General Lee. General Lee was a great General and an even better human being, he put others before himself. From what I read in the biography, General Lee seemed to be if not the greatest general in the Civil War, one of the top generals of that time.



Gillis, Jennifer Blizin.Robert E. Lee, Confederate Commander. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. 2005. 23-29. Print

Nathan Bedford Forrest

The online article I read entitled, "Nathan Bedford Forrest" by Stewart Sifakis, discussed the famous life of General Nathan B. Forrest. A man with no formal military training, who became one of the leading cavalry figures of the Civil War. General Forrest enlisted in the Confederate army as a private in Josiah H. White's cavalry company on June 14, 1861. Forrest's genius on the battlefield was quickly shown and Forrest eventually rose to the rank of Lt. General. When the mass Confederate breakout attempt at Fort Donelson failed, Forrest led most of his own men, and some other troops, through the siege lines and then directed the rear guard during the retreat from Nashville. At Shiloh there was little opportunity for the effective use of the mounted troops and his command again formed the rear guard on the retreat. The day after the close of the Battle of Shiloh, Forrest was wounded, at the Battle of Falling Timbers. After serving during the Corinth siege he was promoted to brigadier general, and he raised a brigade with which he captured Murfreesboro, its garrison and supplies. Forrest had numerous successes on the battle field, but the aftermath of the war left him wiped out financially.

This article was very interesting to me. General Forrest was a Confederate hero as well as being a general. He was a superior commander of cavalry and his knowledge of battle led to many victories for the Confederacy during the war. General Forrest always seemed to know where and when the union would attack and he would make plans to beat the union to the punch. He was without a doubt, one of the Confederacy's greatest generals.

Sifakis, Stewart. "Nathan Bedford Forrest." n. pag. Web. 8 Apr 2010. .

Grant vs. Lee

These videos presented by Dr. Callahan, compares and contrasts the two major generals of the Civil War. Those two men are General Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.Dr Callahan stated, "When Thinking of Great military leaders you think of Grant and Lee." Dr. Callahan tells the two generals backgrounds and discusses their unique military experiences and tactics. Dr. Callahan explains why these two generals became the amazing generals that they were. Dr. Callahan also tells of about the generals' lives after the war.

These videos are very interesting because they explain what these two men were like and what kind of lives they lived. General Lee was the great christian marvel who never cursed or drank while General Grant smoked and drank heavily. Despite Grant's follies in character, he was an outstanding General who led the union troops to victory. I disagree with Dr. Callahan on his claims of General Lee's temper. I do not believe that General Lee would order a soldier to be shot over a stolen pig. Despite my disagreements, Lee and Grant were two of the greatest generals during the Civil War.








Callahan. "General Lee vs General Grant. " 29 June 2007. Online video clip. Youtube. Accessed on 08 April 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=ITJzHp0OmME&feature=related/a'>http://www.youtube.com/watch#v=ITJzHp0OmME&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=ITJzHp0OmME&feature=related/a

Lee's Military Career

Robert E. Lee attended West Point, the most prestigous military academy in the country, in 1825 and graduated in 1829. During this time Lee never recieved a single demerit, or mark of misconduct. Joseph E. Johnston a classmate, who later fought with Lee in the Civil War wrote, "No other youth ... so united the qualities that win warm friendship and command high respect. For he was full of sympathy and kindness, genial and fond of gay conversation, and even fun." In 1846, the U.S. Army sent Lee to Mexico to survey land for the commanding general, Winfield Scott. Soon, Lee was giving General Scott advice on strategy, even though Scott was the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Army. Before the Mexican War had ended, Lee was promoted to the rank of brevet colonel. After the war had ended, Lee returned home and was appointed superintendent of West Point from 1852-1855. After that time, Lee was called to duty by the military for his leadership skills. Presidnet James Buchanan called on Lee to lead a group of Marines to capture the abolitionists who participated in John Brown's Raid. Lee and his men arived at Harper's Ferry and captured John Brown and his followers. Lee returns home in 1859, during the early stages leading up to the Civil War.

General Lee was without a doubt one of the most experienced commanders before the outbreak of the Civil War. His leadership abilities were unmatched by many other commanders at this time. Lee's sense of duty and steadfast determination were unfailing throughout the duration of the war. Lee's schooling at West Point and his superior knowledge of military tactics made him one of the greatest generals of that time and throughout history. General Lee very well may have been the greatest general during the Civil War.



Gillis, Jennifer Blizin. "The Marble Man." Robert E. Lee, Confederate Commander. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. 2005. 23-29. Print

Gillis, Jennifer Blizin. "A Young Soldier." Robert E. Lee, Confederate Commander. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. 2005. 31-43. Print