What advantage did Robert E. Lee offer the Confederacy?
1 Answer
Robert E. Lee gave the Confederacy the advantage of superior military leadership.
Explanation:
Robert E. Lee had been the choice of Winfield Scott to lead the Union Armies. When his home state of Virginia joined the Confederacy Robert E. Lee gave his talents as a military leader to the South.
Robert E. Lee was ridiculed and called the king of spades early in the war. He was the first to see the value of entrenchments that gave soldiers protection during a battle. Robert E. Lee had been an engineer in the Mexican War which gave him insight into how to set up a defensive position.
An example of his expertise in defense was the battle of Fredricksburg. Lee allowed Burnsides to cross the river and take the town. It was a trap. Confederate artillery made withdrawal across the river difficult, and Union Attacks up the slopes against Lee's defensive positions resulted in huge loses in the Union infantry.
Lee was also daring. Willing to take chances to defeat the always larger armies of the Union. Perhaps his most brilliant offensive battle was Chancellorsville. Lee split his army in half. While Lee commanded the half of the army that held the Union forces at bay. Stonewall Jackson led a daring flanking action. The Union army under Hooker was routed and defeated while greatly outnumbering and being better equipped than the Confederate forces.
Without Lee the Union would have won the Civil War in the first or second year. His series of brilliant victories against superior forces kept the Confederacy going for four years. His only losses were his invasions of the north Gettysburg and Antietam
