Today I'm celebrating the life of Robert E Lee on Confederate Heroes Day
In the state of Texas, today is designated as Confederate Heroes Day, combining celebrations of the birthdays of Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19) and Jefferson Davis (June 3). Robert E Lee was the most celebrated general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. His father was a hero of the American Revolution and a friend of George Washington. He graduated second in his West Point class and was the first student to graduate without having received a single demerit. He was appointed Superintendent of West Point during his life. Lee was recognized as an exceptional soldier in the U.S. Army for 32 years. He faught in the Mexican-American War. Lee opposed slavery and had freed the slaves he inherited from his wife's estate long before the war began. One of them, William Mac Lee, actually chose to stand by his side during the war, serving as his cook and confidant. On the eve of the Civil War, Lee rejected an offer from President Abraham Lincoln to command the Union Army. Although he was utterly opposed to secession and considered slavery evil, he resigned from the US Army and then accepted command of the military and naval forces of Virginia, which became part of the Confederate forces. His famous warhorse was named Traveller. Lee was eventually made general-in-chief of the Confederate Forces. He was loved by his soldiers, revered by his peers, and respected by his enemies. His view on the United States was clearly stated: "No north, no south, no east, no west," he wrote, "but the broad Union in all its might and strength past and present" as reported by the Robert E Lee Memorial Association. Of admirable personal character, Robert E Lee was idolized by his soldiers and became the great Southern hero of the war. He also won the admiration of the North. He has remained an ideal of the South and an American hero. He remains an iconic figure of American military leadership. You can read the New York Herald's obituary for Robert E Lee on the Web.
Robert E Lee had a lot to say during his life. Here are some quotes that I think may interest you:
- Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less
- I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.
- Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or keep one.
- My chief concern is to try to be an humble, earnest Christian.
- It is well that war is so terrible -- lest we should grow too fond of it.
- [T]here is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man's face and another behind his back.
- With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword...
- The education of a man is never completed until he dies.
- You can have anything you want - if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, have anything you desire, accomplish anything you set out to accomplish - if you will hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.
You can learn a lot about someone from their prayers. Here's a prayer attributed to Robert E Lee which was memorized and used by Harry Truman throughout his life:
Help me to be, to think, to act what is right because it is right; make me truthful, honest, and honorable in all things; make me intellectually honest for the sake of right and honor and without thought of reward to me.
There is a lot of celebrate about the South and our leaders. There are also a lot of stereotypes about Southern folk. I love the South, especially the warm winters, friendly people, social graces, gentleman ways, and foods of the South. You can learn about life in the South from the humorous wiki site, Strictly Southern on Wetpaint. Some jokingly have said that they have saved their confederate coins because the South is going to rise again. I hope that one day the economy will truly rise to thrive in the South. We definitely need leaders from the south, north, east and west to rise, with courage, honor, bravery, and honesty, those same qualities that were often used to describe the great Southern leader, Robert E Lee.
Here are two songs about the South that you might enjoy.
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, a famous song from Disney's Song of the South movie
As posted on YouTube by mmosssc51782
Alabama's Song of the South music video
As posted on YouTube by skriveren
Today, I hope, as prayed by Robert E Lee, that I will be, think, and act what is right because it is right; will be truthful, honest, and honorable in all things; and be intellectually honest for the sake of right and honor and without thought of reward to me.
Image credit: The Rebel Store
References
Wikipedia
Son of the South
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, Columbia University Press
The Texas Almanac
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