Robert E. Lee

Confederate States general (1807–1870)

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Lived 1807–1870, aged 63United States

United States Historical Figures

Fame55.1
Momentum7.5
United States rank#149
Historical Figures rank#21
Wikipedia135K

Wikipedia
83 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United States
#149
Historical Figures
Era
1807–1870
Aged 63

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Confederate general who commanded the Army of Northern Virginia from 1862–1865 and became the Civil War's most visible tactical mind on the Southern side. His military reputation outlasted the Confederacy itself.

Biography

About

Robert Edward Lee was a Confederate general whose early actions in the American Civil War led to his appointment as the overall commander of the Confederate States Army near the end of the war. He led the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most powerful army, from 1862 until its surrender in 1865, earning a reputation as one of the war's most skilled tacticians.

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