I've seen a lot of Robert E. Lee slander on the timeline, so I figured it was time to correct that.

#RobertELee

"Robert E. Lee was a racist!"

Lee unequivocally opposed slavery on all grounds. He thought it was a political and moral evil. He freed all his inherited slaves long before Emancipation Proclamation. He argued countless times to abolish slavery during the war. (2)

"He was a traitor!!!"

Lee opposed secession and believed in a voluntary union. He did not like the idea of a union being held together by guns and bayonets.

He wanted to solve the problem with discussion, persuasion, and compromise. The Lincoln Administration opposed this. (3)

"He was a terrible general!"

Lee was a brilliant tactician. A lot of the people who claim he wasn't a successful general claim it was other either generals that gave him the wins. (4)

On the day of Pickett's charge, Longstreet delayed his advance, Ewell was jittery, Hill was sick, and Stuart was off scouting pointless areas and abandoned Lee's army.

The fact was, Lee was served by a few bad men that day. Northern generals were incompetent. (5)

Robert E. Lee and the CSA were by no means perfect.

But Lee was a good man, and served his country honorably and surrendered honorably and out his men first, and did not send them to the slaughter.

After the war he helped with rebuilding and the peace (end)