Confederates fired to the Fort Sumter into the twelfth, the fresh Federal garrison formally capitulated toward 14th and Abraham Lincoln granted a trip to the fifteenth to have 75,100 volunteers to help you suppresses the new rebellion
ROBERT Age. LEE shouldn’t be know because a statistic defined generally by the their Virginia identity. Just as in the majority of his other Americans, the guy manifested various loyalties in the later-antebellum and wartime many years. Without a doubt dedicated to their domestic county, where his members of the family got loomed highest from inside the government and you may social standing since Colonial time, the guy as well as owned deep parts to your You, towards the light slaveholding Southern area and to the brand new Confederacy- four amounts of support you to turned a lot more common, receded or intertwined from the individuals affairs. Lee’s dedication to new Confederate nation dominated their strategies and you may thinking in the most well-known and you will extremely important period of his existence.
A letter out-of Lee so you can P.G.T. Beauregard for the ine their conception out of commitment. Simply 6 months immediately following the guy surrendered new Armed forces away from Northern Virginia from the Appomattox, Lee told me why he had asked good pardon regarding Chairman Andrew Johnson. “True patriotism either need of men to do something just reverse, during the you to definitely period, to that particular which it really does at the other,” mentioned Lee, “together with objective and that impels him or her-the desire accomplish best- is strictly a comparable. This new activities which govern its tips alter; and their conduct have to follow the brand new order regarding anything.” Since so frequently try happening, Lee turned to his priple: “Each time he conducted the latest French lower than Braddock, regarding provider of your own King of great Great britain; in the another, the guy fought for the French from the Yorktown, underneath the sales of Continental Congress from The usa, against your.” In the event he failed to say so clearly, Lee’s “desire to perform best” surely stemmed regarding their comprehension of obligation and you may honor. That facts set him about uniforms of All of us, the condition of Virginia therefore the Confederacy within this a time period of a few weeks in 1861.
Lee’s commitment so you’re able to Virginia indeed predominated inside momentous spring season out-of 1861. A float on emergency inaugurated that have South Carolina’s secession when you look at the December 1860 achieved crisis for the mid-April.
Lee traveled to help you married women looking for men Richmond on April twenty-two, spoke that have Letcher and you may accepted their indigenous state’s name
Towards the April 18, Lee came across individually with Francis Preston Blair Sr. and you can General Winfield Scott. Empowered of the Lincoln to “determine Lee’s purposes and you may attitude,” Blair asked Lee to assume command of your army are elevated to get on the rebellion. Lee rejected the offer and you can proceeded instantly so you can Scott’s workplace, where he recounted their conversation with Blair and reiterated he won’t accept brand new proffered command. Traditions possess they you to Scott, an other Virginian, replied, “Lee, you have made a mistake you will ever have; however, I feared it will be very.”
Word of Virginia’s secession, voted because of the nation’s conference to the April 17, appeared in local press on nineteenth. In early morning hours from April 20, Lee written a single-sentence page off resignation in order to Secretary out of Conflict Simon Cameron. Later on that day the guy had written a much longer letter to Scott that launched his choice and provided perhaps one of the most frequently quoted sentences Lee actually ever had written or talked: “Save yourself regarding security of my local State, I never ever attention again to attract my blade.” The war Agency got five days in order to techniques Lee’s resignation, and that became specialized into the April twenty five.
At the same time he’d obtained a deal from Governor John Letcher to take demand of all the Virginia’s armed forces pushes. Into day out of April 23, a several-guy delegation from the secession discussion observed Lee towards the Capitol. Shortly after noon, the 5 guys joined the building, in which delegates was indeed independently concept. As he waited for a few minutes away from finalized place, Lee doubtless contemplated French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon’s lifetime-size sculpture off George Arizona- their make of military and you will republican virtue. Walking towards a packed chamber, Lee listened to comments from John Janney, the fresh convention’s chairman. Brand new choose to own Lee was unanimous, noticed Janney, who upcoming summoned the fresh thoughts off “Light-Pony Harry” Lee’s famous tribute so you’re able to Washington: “We hope Goodness extremely fervently that you might so make the brand new operations dedicated to your fees, that it’ll soon become said people, you are ‘first in comfort,’ of course that point happens you will see generated the nevertheless prouder change of being ‘first-in the latest hearts of one’s countrymen.’”