Robert E Lee biography

It was a description like many others offered of Lee - when he was in his 20's, his 40's, and all through his life.

The young officer was no sooner out of West Point than his mother died - he had always been very close to her, and was her favorite son. "I owed everything to her" he said. He settled her estate and then set out to visit her relatives throughout Virginia. He was looking forward to one of these visits in particular - The great white house on a hilltop in Arlington where George Washington Custis, adopted son of President Washington lived. More importantly, his daughter, Mary Custis also lived there. Mary was a tall, pale girl, somewhat fragile and spoiled, but easy going and warm-hearted. Lee had known her since childhood, and had been in love with her now for several years. He intended to propose.

At first, Mary's father protested. Lee had an excellent name, a fine mind, and a trustworthy character; he had everything, in fact, except money. Mrs. Custis, however, approved of Lee, her daughter had her heart set on the handsome young man, and Custis himself was a wealthy man - so in the end, Lee's poverty didn't seem to matter much. The marriage was delayed twice - once when Lee was sent to work on coastal defenses in Georgia, a task that bored him but came in handy later on during the Civil War - and he was sent to work on Fortress Monroe, back home in Virginia. Finally, in 1831, when he was 24 years old, Lee married Mary Custis in the Custis family home at Arlington. It was a long and happy marriage, and one of historical significance. For with Mary, Lee inherited the Arlington house, with all it stood for. And what it stood for was George Washington. The house was a virtual memorial to Washington - portraits of him hung everywhere; the rooms held his china, his bookcases, and the very bed in which he died. Lee had worshipped Washington since childhood - now he began to pattern himself after his hero more and more.

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