Robert E. Lee: A Remarkable Military Career

Robert E. Lee - today, the mere mention of his name is enough to arouse passionate debate. In his time, he was loved and respected by both the Confederate Army and the Southern people. Curiously, following the Civil War, this high admiration carried over to include the people of the North, and Lee become a cherished figure for all Americans. During the war, when Abraham Lincoln looked at a picture of Lee, he remarked that a man with such a compassionate countenance had to be a ‘good man.’ But the war to which he devoted his every fiber broke him, if not in spirit, certainly in body and he was only to outlive the conflict by five years.
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[@Pikazilla]

north or south we must all agree the civil war had god tier beards and sideburns

[@stephenroney6490]

Sideburns were apparently named after a civil war General. General Burnside.

[@jacklang3314]

And marching songs, though that isn't restricted to the US.

[@ColonizerChan]

Jack Lang Lots of good music and plenty of great parodies

[@ColonizerChan]

Yeah. Most of us folks here got some nice beards

[@ColonizerChan]

The Minty Mustaches and sideburns as well....

[@apacifistmachinegunner669]

“It’s a good thing war is so terrible , otherwise we would grow quite fond of it.” General Robert E. Lee

[@djsonicc]

and yet...

[@normanbraslow7902]

JaceH555 TM, it's the human condition.

[@MegaReception1]

Apparently Lee's message didn't get through the U.S. has constantly been at war for the last 80 years how pathetic.

[@EnigmaEnginseer]

@@MegaReception1 Couldn’t exactly sit out both World Wars or let Russian influence spread

[@brucetanner3107]

09 4I

[@NickB1121]

After the war, General Grant nearly went ballistic when he heard the US government was considering charging General Lee with a crime of being a traitor. He threatened to resign if Lee were charged with a crime. I think this alone prevented anything from happening to Lee. They both had a great respect for one another.

[@rajkobjelica4905]

Traitor.

[@angus4463]

He was a traitor

[@andriy8797]

@@angus4463 that's an odd way to spell "based"

[@troystaunton254]

Was a legit traitor.

[@tnreprasentog7769]

Yes he's considered as one of the best military commanders America has ever had.. too bad he fought for the losing side... Ya know there is strong debate that if the south had the strength and logistics that the union had america would be split in 2 rn

[@loreexplorerhistoryandgami668]

I like how unbiased this video is. It doesn’t present Lee as a villain, and nor does it present him as a complete hero. It really just depicts him in a respectful manner as a mixed bag.

[@user-kt8yd6we4e]

True that is, as we're all a mixed bag. May we strive to be a special bag as he was.

[@David_Me825]

"I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself." - Robert E. Lee

[@Ares99999]

+Ralph Goodman If that's true, Lee was an utter moron. So I hope it's not.

[@KingofDiamonds85]

That's actually not true. Only 4 of the 11 states listed slavery as a reason for secession. Plus, the articles of secession were not a war declaration. The only case you have to list the ordinances of secession, which again, only 6 of the 11 even mention slavery. You must also ignore that Lee's state of Virginia didn't secede strictly over the issue of slavery, but when Lincoln called for troops from Virginia to put down the 7 rebelling states, at that time, Virginia refused and felt cornered to side with someone.

[@KingofDiamonds85]

@Baron Von Grijffenbourg Again, not necessarily. Too often people see the American Civil War as black and white(no pun intended), but the complexity of the Civil War shouldn't be judged that way. We have many journals from soldiers stating their reasons for fighting on both sides and slavery wasn't one of them for most. Yes, there were those fighting for and against slavery, as well as, soldiers fighting for the motives of other people(slaveholders), in some cases, I'm not debating that. I'm saying the whole war and ideas behind secession were not firmly planted on either side on the idea of slavery. In fact, historical points of view show that slavery was secondary to both sides in many ways.

[@joshrobidoux7887]

Baron Von Grijffenbourg what people truly fail to understand is this... the sum of a politician's intent does not speak for the masses. I do not begrudge the Wehrmacht or those conscripted to serve Germany when he was under threat of invasion. You seem to be hung up on what "States Rights" entails... yes, one of these was slavery but if you look accurately at history and American economics of the time, Slavery was dying in the USA. Regrettably not as quickly as it needed to but it truly was a failing institution when you look at who actually could afford slaves in the South, we're not even talking about slave owners in the Northern States and even the small percentage of Blacks and Indians who owned slaves (they existed too). You never hear the other reasons the Southerner's felt their rights were being trampled on... by Democrats splitting the party and the election of Lincoln as the consolidated alternative, I suppose they felt that was another avenue to the argument that was shut down to them. Also, this was a problem well before Lincoln, how come no onus is put on Buchanan for simply "punting" the problem away??? there's so much more nuance to the War Between the States than we ever learn of in classes and that's sad.

[@MadsenAltamirano]

@Baron Von Grijffenbourg Desperate attempt to make a point, some point... I don't know which point. Is it that fighting for increased liberty and rights is a bad thing? Oh, the irony. As if it's not obvious that the wicked receive their liberty in full too. You are a desperate, desperate, man. If you didn't already know, slavery could still have been banned in state-law, one by one. MUCH better than depriving us of states rights, which views the entire country as a collective. Desperate. Even just 4 of the 11 Confederate states wanted to keep slavery. Desperate.

[@BListHistory]

"I tremble for my country when I hear of confidence expressed in me. I know too well my weakness, that our only hope is in God." -Robert E. Lee

[@Awesomeduud]

Ralph Goodman Lee was asked to lead an army against his home. Virginia was his home, where his friends, family lived. His childhood memories existed there and he was being asked to lead an army to invade it. Why don't you stop being prejudiced for a second and realize the terrible dilemma that must be for a person. Especially back then when values were heavily emphasized towards family, friends and home. I fail to understand what your point even means. What does that have anything to do with his actions and decisions in life?

[@Cuffsmaster]

It was a very very good thing that Lee didn't take the Union Command or the North may have lost. Lee was not what many Southerners were brainwashed into believing. www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-myth-of-the-kindly-general-lee/529038/ The was a sadist slave owner, racist by his own words, poor offensive leader as he never own an offensive battle in the war, and most of all a traitor to the Nation that educated him and give him a job as a military man. He should of been hung after the war.

[@flyingcabbage3551]

J BEST *hanged

[@strangerhorse5209]

flying cabbage : hung works

[@strangerhorse5209]

Ralph Goodman : Very intelligent man but definitely the wrong choice for his position in the confederacy. My opinion is that he lost the 'war' deliberately. Ultimately, he had to fail.

[@animal16365]

I'm glad both Grant and Lee understood each others feelings about the war. No pomp and circumstance. Just stopping the war and start the healing.

[@BC-li6zc]

A man who's tactics are still studied today in many military colleges today.

[@thecawolf1]

Like how to lose?

[@keithtestaverde3712]

@@thecawolf1 The South actually kicked our asses during the war. The only reason we won was because the south didn't grow anything but cotton, and you can't eat that...

[@doyouseeit7819]

@@keithtestaverde3712 factually that's not true. While it is true that the north had superior manpower and manufacturing. The tactical maneuvers of the likes of Grant, Sherman and Meade did Lee in. He could easily defeat incompetent leaders of the early war but when the generals of the western theatre began to come over to fight lee the war was over. No doubt a master tactician but was outdone by Grant.

[@willoutlaw4971]

Why would any military winner study a loser like R.E. Lee or any other Confederate? Slack jawed, inept. Incompetent.

[@JB-hl1qx]

@@willoutlaw4971 the people disrespectful to lee on here have no idea what strategic warfare is.

[@BibleStudent4U]

At West Point Lee was called the "Marble Model" because he never got any demerits. Also one thing Lee was known for is that during the war he would not sleep in a house that was still occupied even if invited to do so by the owners. He did this out of respect for his men sleeping on the ground. Lee was all but worshiped by most of his soldiers.

[@jacklang3314]

Then you have Sherman who according to his memoirs received 150 demerits per year.

[@mot0rhe4d40]

To this day southern descendents of Confederate troops, still carry on a tradition of giving their first born the middle name Lee. My family are among those descendents. He was our most beloved General.

[@jjboys215]

Leading an army against the US for the sole purpose of continuing to own slaves at least warrants one demerit

[@pettifoggingpharisee]

There are some men who you wouldn't trust to lead men through ankle high standing water. And then there are men who you can look on and desire all your life to want to be at least a tenth of the kind of man that they were.

[@user-ld9xw8ck2r]

He was dumb no j

[@JoJoJoker]

How can you leave out the fact he was the first student to graduate West Point without a single demerit?

[@prechabahnglai103]

I don't think he was the first. Though remarkable achievement it was.

[@sexyboi8896]

he graduated 2nd in his class

[@crzmicky]

What’s a demerit? Is it like a write up or something?

[@boysgangBkkp8]

crzmicky basically

[@paulmicheldenverco1]

I believe he had two. And isn't Abe Froman the sausage king in Ferris Beuler's Day Off?

[@joethompson543]

Thank you, sincerely, for your portrayal of lee in these..... tumultuous days. History isn’t as simple as today’s youth like to believe. I say this as an American, whose family fought for the north, and was sent to Andersonville for their trouble.

[@cojimotomisashi879]

"I am nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation." "The education of a man is never completed until his death." - Robert E. Lee

[@nickroberts6984]

Lee also said, of civil war statues, "Better not to keep open the sores of war". After Appomattox, also told his men to "fold the flag and put it away, or else it will be divisive." It's amazing just how many armchair generals today defy his wisdom..... 💥🇺🇸💥

[@Hjmmo]

He was a very smart man

[@MegaBbqbbq]

@generic generic Gee you're dumb.

[@sabinereynaudsf]

@@MegaBbqbbq He is right. Just to give you one quote: The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things.

[@louisthewetpussy8748]

@@sabinereynaudsf I don't understand what are you saying. We were just talking abaut how Robert E Lee was brilliant general.

[@dancoughlan8001]

You've done it again Sir. As a 36 yr Veteran of the Canadian armed forces, I appreciate how you treated one of the GREATEST Generals of all time. Thank You .

[@nightman890]

hmm, interesting. I don't get to speak much to soldiers to be honest and I just don't understand why anyone would fight for country like Canada. Forgive me if I sound rude, it just baffles me really.

[@bigyoshi2893]

Timmo Jarrer If you love your country and want to protect it then serving your country is a great honor. How does someone wanting to protect there country "Baffle" you? Unless you want Canada to become a leech to the U.S then they need there own Army.

[@jcsmith9412]

Canadians are tough Soldiers! Naturally, Canadians and Americans have much of the same blood. We have much of the same, "Yearning to breathe free". Canadians are great people!

[@historymogul2867]

@@nightman890 xD Well, they believe its a great country, which it is in some ways, but I think we all know the ways in which it isn't lol

[@historymogul2867]

@@bigyoshi2893 I think he's saying that Canada is a horrible place to be xD But technicallu, they are already a leech to the US, I mean, remind me how many countries of NATO actually put 2% of their GDP towards the military lol?

[@HaysOnYoutube]

Early life... *Shows him as an old bearded man with gray hair*

[@supremecaffeine2633]

Life be like that sometimes.

[@thevoid4060]

@@supremecaffeine2633 damn it do

[@Raycloud]

I'm not aware of there being any actual photos of a young Lee or should I say, younger Lee. Photographs existed as far back as the mid 1840's if I'm not mistaken. You can find portraits of a young Lee. He was only what, 59 when he died? (I could look it up but w/e). At the time of his death he has the look of a man in his late 70's or early 80's. During the war he lived in a tent and slept on a cot, as his men his did. The war probably cut his life short by 20+ years. I can't imagine how stressful it must have been to have all that pressure placed upon you. The hope of an entire fledgling nation up against a numerically and logistically superior foe, the battleground your own home, very brutal and bloody combat, and no margin for error.

[@thephantomoftheparadise5666]

I can just imagine the confusion of the parents.

[@waylongroves200]

The Phantom of the Paradise Underrated comment. 👍🏻

[@davidl8017]

14:10 The graves dug on his estate became what is now known today as Arlington National Cemetery

[@jeffreyohler2599]

Well hopefully that detail doesn't get widespread attention. They recently tore down Lee's statue due to him serving the confederates. So I suppose they'd want to have all those vets dug up and relocated to appease them!!!! Can't very well have them buried in a racists backyard now can we?

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:50 - Chapter 1 - Early life 1:40 - Chapter 2 - A military career 3:20 - Chapter 3 - A fateful decision 5:30 - Chapter 4 - The war 9:40 - Chapter 5 - Gettysburg 16:20 - Chapter 6 - After the war

[@optic140]

Ulysses S. Grant; The "S" did not stand for "Simpson". In fact it stood for nothing. Grant's given name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. A clerical error when he enrolled at West Point had him registered as Ulysses S. Grant. Grant found the procedures required correct the error too onerous, so he stuck with the name he had been registered under.

[@claytongunter171]

Love the music. Outlaw Josey Wales anyone?

[@samsmith2635]

The Clerk must of been a Mason and couldnt bring himself to write down Hiram lol

[@jenjen.rutherford8559]

He was known as sam to his friends.

[@pattystomper1]

Simpson was his mother's maiden name, so it was a hyphenated last name: Simpson-Grant.

[@sterlingferguson1704]

The hero at Gettysburg was General Meade and not Grant.

[@tylerrebik7700]

Amongst other things, you forgot to include that: *Lee served as Commandant of West Point. *Lee married the daughter George Washington's stepson. *Lee left such a mark on Washington University that it is now called Washington and Lee University. *Lee was descended from Gov. Alexander Spottiswood as well as Scottish royalty. *Lee was related to Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lee, and Arthur Lee. *Lee knew Grant from the Mexican-American War. *Lee was offered the chance to take command of the Romanian army and to live with a British Lord once the Civil War ended. *Lee was visited often in youth by the Marquis de Lafayette who told him stories of the Revolutionary War and his father's service. Just thought this missed too many points of interest in Lee's life. My family routinely regales on him, as he was a distant uncle.

[@andrewgillis3073]

In fact, Arlington was an estate of George Washington, and had a great deal of his documentation. When the Union forces took it over, much of this was destroyed. A great loss to the nation and history.

[@mrelviajero8931]

....and how many slaves did he own? More than George Washington?

[@avelus5984]

Tyler Rebik Interesting facts.

[@royfairchild6895]

Yea isn't it weird that slavery was prevalent in that time and that Lee wasnt the only slave holder of the time North or South? Next we'll say the Framers were dumb and because they has slaves too we need to just change and tear up the constitution. Right Right??

[@JamesMartinelli-jr9mh]

@@royfairchild6895 Slavery is the sole institution from Africa brought to America. Lee freed his slaves before the War.

[@justafish1910]

As a southerner, I'm glad to see an accurate lesson about the rough events in history. America has a rough one, but history isn't entirely black and white. I've watched alot of videos on this here KZbin, but Biographics has become one of my favorite channels. Also as a southerner I'll say, you got a cool accent dude

[@candleankle1805]

Just A Fish hi there, loser.

[@dogbean5015]

@Table-Country pinxing THRYM Firearms 27 lmao what a yank

[@dogbean5015]

@Table-Country pinxing THRYM Firearms 27 keep it up yankee doodle

[@kles44]

@Candle Ankle nobody alive today fought in the civil war... get over yourself. But truth be told, the south had less population and less resources and still handed the union army it's ass many times, and went down with honor. Almost 20 percent of the male population in the south perished in the war which is astonishing... all because Lincoln wanted to play dictator. And I'm from the north... but the south had the right to secession as any state had and still does no matter what lawyers in Washington claim

[@marleygordon621]

@@kles44 they didn't have right to succession they were traitors who left the union the United states government said they had no right stop being a confederate apologist. I can respect Lee for his reasons for fighting for the confederacy but you sound dumb asf.

[@lawilder2059]

I’m surprised you did not include any portraits of the young Robert e lee. He was beautiful, charismatic , and commanding. Only depictions of his aged yet proud face are shown.

[@lukezuzga6460]

Great video Simon. Many Americans forget that Americans were being killed on both sides. They forget that Lee was very respected on both sides. Its amazing how he described how the war would go in that letter!

[@rump438]

Luke Zuzga a lot of people don't know that if he wasn't so "nationalistic (???)" For Virginia he would have been Lincolns top guy.

[@lukezuzga6460]

Ryan Meaker rt on

[@lukezuzga6460]

Cody Connolly I don't think anybody with any knowledge of the conflict forgot what started it. However, some healing needs to continue and I see nothing wrong with someone feeling a little pride in millitary accomplishments. Even the German people feel pride in many of their WWll regular army vets.

[@lukezuzga6460]

Cody Connolly right on

[@lukezuzga6460]

Brian Glover The fact that he won the battles he did in the civil war makes him great. The North didn't truely turn the tide until they fought a war of attrition.

[@tome57a]

Very, very well done biography. As a Northerner growing up I was never taught the full story of General Lee and needless to say have a whole lot more respect for him now. A true man of honor.

[@bryanbridges2987]

Thank you for watching with an open mind. I grew up in the South, but I never heard his full story either. I only supported him because I've seen too many offensive Yankees hate on a man they never met.

[@Kittycommissar]

tome57a honor? He was a traitor that left his country to fight to keep slaves.

[@S1eeperServ1ce]

@@Kittycommissar Which county or state do you live in? Did you grow up there and cement bonds with your society? Have you been instructed by your nations leader to fire upon and imprison all the people in your county or state?

[@simongleaden2864]

As an Englishman I have a high regard for one or two German officers of the World War, such as Captain Langsdorf of the Graf Spee and General Adolf Galland of the Luftwaffe, so I can understand the respect in which General Lee is held by some in the Northern states.

[@darkomen42]

@@Kittycommissar you clearly have no clue why he fought.

[@gideonevans9717]

You must admit he was a really good General

[@memedreamer1996]

@The Icon of Sin Grant owned slaves.

[@adamhartley5104]

@The Icon of Sin that makes him better? Lol Lee kicked ass and took names...

[@michaeldunne338]

@@adamhartley5104 Not in West Virginia (as per the video clip), nor in Maryland with his first failed invasion north of the Potomac (which the clip didn't cover - did poorly enough to give Lincoln confidence to move forward with the Emancipation Proclamation); and not at Gettysburg. He did pretty well on home ground with an active defense, but lost all the same. A good number of battles within present day Virginia were "inconclusive" all the same.

[@Dino-god69]

Michael Dunne and yet the casualties show for themselves. The Union did not gain its victories easily.

[@michaeldunne338]

@@Dino-god69 The Union had a 16,000+ man army in December of 1860. So not exactly a large force, but one called on to expand dramatically, and to go on offensive. Not out of the ordinary for casualties to be higher for an army on offence versus an adversary on defense on home ground, and more the case for one inexperienced. Conversely, it seems the casualties that Lee incurred gets overlooked. At Gettysburg his casualties were comparable or higher than the Union's; same with Lee's casualties during the Seven Days Battles in 1862. Think just looking at the Battle of Antietam alone (versus the entire Maryland campaign), still the case. Then there is the issue of percent of force becoming casualties, and Lee often experienced higher ratios of casualties as a percent of forces than the Union - Chancellorsville was an example of that. Not good with demographics of: 1860 the population of the United States at 31,443,321; with 22 northern states at ~23,000,000, versus 11 seceding states of 9,000,000, with 3,500,000 slaves.

[@tsulkaluadventures2460]

As a Southerner and a historian, I applaud your fair portrayal of a good man who was destined to fight for a damned cause. He is highly misunderstood and vilified by the hindsight of today’s standards. This was well done and I thank you.

[@Gabryal77]

As a Canadian who finds the US Civil War fascinating I think one of the things that is overlooked by even though studying it was how close the men, and in particular the general officers, were to each other. There truly were best friends on each side that ended up fighting each other, stories of brothers fighting on different sides meeting on the same battlefield, it seems like a very American story, and in a way, it's a story to be proud of. The men were not perfect, and they knew it, and most would have shunned fame or glory if they could have, they were mostly men who valued that rather unique and some would say "American" virtue of "Duty", the idea that every man owed not only himself, but his neighbors and people, a part of himself. Your people seem to have lost that unique spark that made you "you", and I do hope you get it back

[@howardbaxter2514]

I agree. Too few people realize that Lee could have been general for the Union. The main reason why he turned down that offer was because he wanted to fight for his state of Virginia.

[@nothankyou9906]

Gabryal Sansclair One can wish, but I fear it is too late.

[@luisdeleon9819]

@@howardbaxter2514 Yeah. No moral compass.

[@enhancedpeace]

@@jsivna your being tone deaf if the destruction of confederate statues is what has you upset about the BLM movement.

[@GravityFromAbove]

Thanks for this balanced treatment of Robert E. Lee. It's sad to think of the many younger folks these days who simply take a Manichean view of the past. This was a good corrective. Keep it up.

[@michealkasey2292]

Idiocy? I think quite the opposite.

[@lonelylongdistancekiller9844]

I agree. I hate the view point of how the world is just good and evil. The world is not black and white. Its gray with many accounts to take in.

[@MrWizeazz]

Ralph Goodman The CSA would have always lost the war. There is no way the could have continued along at the rate they were going with the amount of soldiers they were losing. Especially when considering the tactics that were being deployed at the time by both forces. Plain and simple, the North had a far better infrastructure to support their troops. They were able to get fresh soldiers and hard resupplies fairly quickly by utilizing the railroads. I believe if they had focused more guerrilla tactics and trench warfare earlier on they have stood a better chance down the line. The greatest asset the South had was its leadership. Yes, getting officially recognized by the other power countries as a completely independent nation is feverishly important to establishing their state. But I believe unless they actually received aid from various European nations and native population it would ultimately end up being a lost cause.

[@newvocabulary]

My college classes painted him as pure evil. I regret spending money for a degree from an institution which openly lies about history.

[@JokerL1000]

Balanced treatment of someone with sex slaves?

[@EmmersomBigguns]

One fact missing or not included: Lee's wife attempted to pay the taxes on their land but the government refused to accept the payment. It was through this measure that the government claimed his land due to "non-payment" of taxes.

[@marrenrue7731]

Lee had to appear in person to pay the taxes.

[@waylongroves200]

Yep, sounds about right for government.

[@davedelecto4148]

He was lucky to not have been hanged

[@EmmersomBigguns]

@@davedelecto4148 it was a different time. Even Abe Lincoln himself held the black man as an inferior species. As to Lee's decision to fight for Virginia, he wrestled with that decision for days and said later it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. But loyalty to the state was held much higher in those days than to an over arching federal govt.

[@gracesonhudgins9602]

exactly he also released his slaves when he inheritated them most southerners where fighting for there land and they were too poor for slaves

[@stemogstel22]

Robert E. Lee is like a character of a Greek tragedy. Forced with two terrible choices--bear arms against his home or bear arms against the country--also his home--to which he had sworn and devoted his life--neither choice would for him have produced a good outcome.

[@meganoob12]

I‘d have chosen the side that is not fighting to enslave people 🤷‍♂️ pretty easy choice if you ask me

[@badassbillyb]

​@meganoob12 i like hows people give excuses to lee while simultaneously acknowledging that he was fighting for slavery

[@lucaswilmot9435]

Lee fought for slavery and betrayed the United States of America, a country who trained him, paid him, and a country who he was a citizen of… its not an impossible choice, if he was so driven by duty then his choice was clear, he took an oath and broke it

[@no-on6hu]

@@meganoob12That’s not quite so simple. The idea of slavery itself as a reason for fighting wasn’t so much until the emancipation proclamation. It’s a lot more complicated than you might think.

[@meganoob12]

​@@no-on6hu You sound like you wanna teach me something yet you don't state a single thing. I know the issues that led to the civil war. Slavery wasn't at the forefront for the north yes. The reason to fight in the beginning was the preservation of the union and only later it became to free the slaves. BUT... THE no 1. reason to fight for the south was by far SLAVERY. People who deny this fact (which is eve made clear by the declarations of secession of the deep south, so the confederates themselves) can't be taken serious at this point anymore. And don't tell me they were fighting for "states rights"... that is complete and utter horseshite.

[@cb41503]

"As a soldier you must love the army, as a general you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love" Robert E Lee. The movie Gettysburg

[@laceywelch7020]

Very well done. I have always argued that I believe General Lee was a good man with who did the best he could given his circumstances.

[@beverlybalius9303]

Lacey Welch he did not ever own a slave....his father did.... It was stated he did not like it..... However General Ulysses Grant was a cruel Slave Owner.

[@Ares99999]

+Beverly Balius Nope, he wasn't. I don't see your need to demonize Grant. But Grant was not cruel, and the only slave he 'owned', he willingly emancipated before the war. Get your facts right.

[@michaelpartain5545]

@@Ares99999 he owned his father's slaves that were supposed to be freed as per his will yet Lee claimed them ignoring his father's wishes. What do youn mean get your facts right?

[@KingofDiamonds85]

Actually, he kept the slaves until his father in law's(not father) debts were paid off and then he promptly freed the slaves.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

Good for you, kid. Things aren't as simple as protestors and the resist crowd like to make them. We live in a complex world where people have to make thought choices. General Lee certainly did. Those who still oppose him know very little of him. To be ignorant of things that happened for you were born is to forever be a child. -Cicero

[@dennisdempsey6011]

Thank You for your fair handling of R.E.Lee, too bad too many can not do the same!

[@derrickstorm6976]

And even more praise him as a saint

[@derrickstorm6976]

@Jim Johnson most conservatives are confessing Christians. Catholic saint is a person who has lived a remarkable life, done something, unearthly, and are christened saint

[@mirleyguerra8236]

@Jim Johnson People tend to omit that part of the story. And that Grant had slaves too.

[@CptvonChaos]

@amanda miller The dictionary (Merriam Webster, in this case) definition of a traitor is 1) one who betrays another"s trust or is false to an obligation or 2) one who commits treason. Since he had RESIGNED HIS COMMISSION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY prior to joining the Confederacy, he was not guilty of either. For your edification, the definition of "treason" is the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which one owes allegiance or to kill or injure the sovereign and his family." Lincoln was gunned down April 14, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth in D.C., and Jefferson Davis died December 6, 1889 in New Orleans of acute bronchitis. General Lee was in Lexington, Virginia, from October 2, 1865, until his death in 1870, where he served as president of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University).

[@judithmargret5972]

@@derrickstorm6976 All Christians are called saints in Scripture. It's through the remarkable life that Jesus Christ led that we have that privilege, not because of what we have done. Catholics have it totally wrong

[@TheNightWatcher1385]

Lee is a good example of how sometimes good men can end up fighting for bad causes. I cannot fault him for simply wanting to defend his home. The modern day wants to paint the men in this war with a black and white brush but the truth is always more nuanced than that permits.

[@JediDrPepper049]

If he was a good man, he wouldn't have murdered American soldiers and wouldn't have fought to keep and expand slavery.

[@jerichohill487]

Great video. You treated him with respect. Thank you. I will add two things you over looked. 1) lee not only graduated second, he is the only person to ever graduate without getting a single demerit from West Point. B) Churchill said Lee was the greatest American to ever live, ans he would hope that all Americans were as brave and honorable as the General. On a tertiary point, Rommel and Patton based all thier stratigies on Lees .

[@SamuelJamez17]

I like the fact that though Robert Lee was the enemy of the Civil War, he was seen with respect and dignity because he did what he believed was right, regardless that the North did not agree with him

[@bp4187]

How do you get past his willingness to kill patriots so his fellow confederates could buy and sell people like cows?

[@xx2ndLookxx]

Now that's a man I can admire.. he was able to surrender.. Not too many leaders do.. Even a dictator or Emperor should listen to his people and try to do what is best..

[@Raycloud]

I think the most heroic thing he did was disregard the order from Davis to disperse his army and conduct a guerrilla campaign. Johnston did the same. If they had complied with that order the country would have suffered a violent insurgency far worse than it did under reconstruction and the nation may never have healed from it. It indeed takes a lot of personal and moral strength to admit defeat to then faithfully comply with the demands of the victor.

[@ChickenLiver911]

If only Erwin Rommel has surrendered and not shot himself, he wasn’t a nazi, he was just a German soldier. Though he was pressed into suicide by the _ss_ after he tried to kill Hitler

[@TheOnlyCasto]

generic generic I don’t think you can really classify Robert Lee as a white supremacist, I mean yes he fought for the wrong side but there were northern people who always had slaves and treated them poorly. Lee wasn’t a Nazi nor was he a kkk member.

[@bp4187]

Excellent point. I think Lee is overrated but this was a great and honorable decision@@Raycloud

[@bp4187]

He didn't have a chance to be a Nazi but he revered one of his generals, Nathan Bedford Forest, who was a Klan leader. Why waste time praising Lee? He was the definition of a traitor. He made Benedict Arnold look like a clumsy pickpocket@@TheOnlyCasto

[@andrewbuhman1066]

The greatness of the man is seen not only in his victories, but in his ability to take blame in his defeat.

[@explorer1968]

Torn between his oath as a high-ranking officer of the US Army and his love for his native State, his family, and home, Robert E. Lee took a controversial decision based on personal duty. Not understandable at first, one has to consider the love for the homeland not always is necessarily is aligned with love for the fatherland...

[@camfox5187]

A simple explanation to end the controversy over him. Well said!

[@explorer1968]

@@camfox5187 Most appreciated! Complex is to explain the matter of the heart over the matter of patriotic duty, General Lee is a perfect example.

[@jeffreyohler2599]

@@camfox5187 If only it were that simple. There are many who say Lee was a racist for fighting with the south. Therefore they'd be claiming that Curiousbynature is also racists. Unfortunately that's the world we live in now. Everything is cut-n-dry. Sadly there's no reasoning with most. 'Civilized' debating is a rare occurrence in my experience.

[@abbycox8309]

@@jeffreyohler2599 I understand his decision and respect it, however I understand controversy of his decision due to fighting for the right to own slaves, even if he didn't support slavery. He's a complex brilliant flawed man.

[@edward0383]

That's an easy way to explain treason.

[@samcollins1286]

"It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it." - Robert E Lee

[@willoutlaw4971]

Thank you General Grant and the Union armies for whipping the hell out of Lee and his traitorous band of slavers.

[@MarkhasSteelfort]

@@willoutlaw4971 You are an ignorant person and USA is doomed if your mindset is common.

[@hellshavoc88]

Will Outlaw I mean yeah. The country we are today is as a result of Grant being an equal military mind to Lee and able to finally put Lee in an unwinable situation. Lee is one of the greatest military minds in world history. Lee is the only reason the war didn’t last only a single year. He won or stalemated battles that should have been easily lost due to sheer numbers but he somehow was always able to overcome. The terms Grant laid upon the surrender was a step in the a healing process that the country as a whole is still recovering from. They were still the Union’s countrymen. Grant doesn’t get the credit that he deserves, then again he got to be President lol. So yes, Thank you to Grant for being the first one to out class a great military general and finally concur the South’s attempt at making a slavery paradise. However that wasn’t the only step. It took 100 more years to pass the civil rights act and 60 years after that point we are still dealing with the fallout of a 5 year war.

[@paulpowell4871]

A few years after the American Civil War A former Black Slave walked to the front of a church to receive his blessing. this was a brash move as Whites still received first. as he knelt at the alter and elderly White man knelt next to him and reached for his hand in brotherhood under Christ, That man was Robert Edward Lee a man I am proud to call a relative from by British roots.

[@JamesMartinelli-jr9mh]

Actually it was to receive communion. Black and White Southerners attended the same churches before the War.

[@codyjohnson747]

Thank God some people aren't idiots...all these bad comments about Lee...he was a man of his time...and for his nation

[@paulpowell4871]

@ he was granted full immunity by Lincoln and then by Johnson. To condemn a man after that is impossible from any court in the land. Feelings don't count as we are a nation of Laws.

@@paulpowell4871 Legally he is immune. Morally he is not. He was a learned man. He should have realised that the US was the last Western country still practicing slavery. Also the US was practicing slavery on a giant scale.

[@drewdurbin4968]

Both sides had slavery throughout the entire war....so it wasn't possible to choose a side with no slavery l.

[@feelthenoise3014]

Robert E. Lee is one of my favorite generals every one respected him back then

[@SocratesTheWiseOne-tr3uf]

Would that every one include slaves and abolitionists??

[@itschewsday5252]

So a couple weeks ago, I did a DNA test and it came out that Robert E Lee was my ancestor. I thought that it was a bad thing because he was a confederate. Decided to watch this and I do not regret being related to him now. Thx for the vid.

[@GhostlyJorg]

congratulation, somebody took you for a complete fool

[@GWParadise]

After all the recent hysteria over statues and generally trying to erase the South side of the Civil War, it's refreshing to hear the untarnished truth, from a guy with a British accent, to boot. Great video, Simon, and thank you.

[@Riceball01]

What I find sad is that there are idiots tearing down statues of Lee, a man loved by both sides and who fought for the South not out of conviction for the Southern cause, but because of loyalty to his home state. While he's probably the best known example of this state loyalty, I imagine that he wasn't the only one; there were probably lots of people (on both sides) who didn't necessarily agree with the side he fought on but did so because because of loyalty to his home state.

[@simongillaspie3265]

He was a traitor to the union and if dixie tries to succed from the union again it will be burn down twice I come from Michigan a place that was still just a territory at the time and yet still and some of the most men freely fight for its soon to be federal government even though my belief is that our goverment has became tyrannical and their does need to be a revolution just not a civil war

[@Cemi_Mhikku]

Blame the Daughters of the Confederacy. For many it's not that the man is loathed so much, as his adoration is tainted today by the lies that were spread about him and his times by the people who commissioned those works.

[@jonathanknox5202]

Dude no one is trying to "erase history". All we want is for the statues of people who fought to preserve the institution of slavery not to be on government owned land, where the descendants of slaves have to see them every time they need to pay a traffic ticket, or mail a letter, or try to have a barbecue. We have museums. Lee's house is a museum. I've been there. Put the statues at the museums where people already go to learn about history. If you absolutely must have statues on public land, in city centers, there are literally thousands of less controversial figures to choose.

[@grezgorztube]

He thought that duty was more important than taking the correct ethical stance on slavery. He was certainly not a great man, though he was a great soldier. He could have saved a lot of southern lives if he had decided to stay with the Union army, because he would have brought an earlier end to the war. His "honor" wasn't worth a damn.

[@Paslayas]

A favorite of mine, thank you for an unbiased bio. Lee County in Florida is named after him, as well as other Southern counties. He represented the wisdom of Plato, 'Only the dead have seen the end of war.'

[@aaronfleming9426]

Lee Country, Iowa, is also named for him. As a young engineering officer he charted some rapids on the Mississippi River and was honored for his work by the new county.

[@johnfleming7879]

he surrendered his army, intact, instead of leading guerilla war, saving lives

[@dogbean5015]

He saved about 50 thousand lives with that one move

[@jidk6565]

He already took American lives at that point, should he get a cookie for already betraying the union because the people who controlled his states loved enslaving others?

[@marinegrunt2008]

@@jidk6565 Actually he didn't support slavery and he didn't own slaves either. The only reason he fought for the confederacy is because Virginia was in the confederacy and he supported his state more than the nation. About(this is a rough estimate but close)3 to 6% of white people owned slaves in the confederacy and the rest didn't. ALSO Abraham Lincoln didn't support the idea of black people being equal with White, he stated that black people were inferior to white people hence him not letting in black people in the union army for a time until he decided to. So Robert, although shouldn't have fought for the confederacy, he was justified for doing so.

[@jidk6565]

@@marinegrunt2008 he didnt own slaves, or support slavery, cool He supported the states that did, and fought for them He is a TRAITOR, and he fought for the losing side Good on you for defending him Edit: also , there is no justification for fighting for the side that wanted to enslave other human beings

[@marinegrunt2008]

@@jidk6565 Although he did fight for the states that did support slavery, he is still one of the most honorable men at the time. And thank you for having a conversation with me, I wish you Godspeed.

[@claytonpaisley9721]

My grandfather's grandfather was with Lee at Appomattox. His rifle was a family heirloom, until my grandfather donated the flintlock to a government run steel drive to make munitions during WWII. He was six years old.

[@IJustKant]

Lee reminds me a lot of Rommel. A great and gallant military officer overcoming huge odds to win spectacular victories, even if the cause he served wasn’t worth his devotion.

[@procinctu1]

Lee was a force multiplier like Napoleon and Rommel was not. In even fights Rommel lost several times. Lee only joined the Southern cause after Lincoln raised an army to invade the breakaway States. Virginia left the Union after Lincoln chose war instead of peaceful negotiation. Lee joined the Southern armies to protect his family and home. So, how was that an ignoble cause. The Union forces were under no illusions, they were fighting to force citizens to remain in a Union they no longer agreed to. How was that a noble cause? The destruction of slavery was never a Union war aim. It was a, good, unintended consequence.

[@Vinstant_Karma87]

Worst cause any people have ever fought for. He was a traitor and killed more Americans than bin laden

[@procinctu1]

Vincent H. Lee was respected by soldiers and politicians of both sides. The Union did not prosecute Lee or other Confederate leaders because the Union side was using brute force to compel States to remain in the Union. How was it evil for people to defend their families and homes? How was that a wrong cause? The Union was never fighting to liberate slaves or to end slavery. That is a fiction many people believe. The Lincoln administration was only concerned with forcing breakaway States back into the Union. The war was preventable and Lincoln was a disaster for this country.

[@Vinstant_Karma87]

@@procinctu1 brute force should always be used against slavers.

[@Vinstant_Karma87]

@@procinctu1 the entire war began when the south, with treason in their hearts, fired on an American fort, because they THOUGHT Lincoln MIGHT end slavery. Please stop with the lost cause noble south b/s. These were true monsters, fighting for a monstrous system, they got put down like the dogs they were.

[@libertygiveme1987]

I ALWAYS felt so BADLY for Robert E. Lee. He tried so HARD, and truly LOVED his country and the men in his Service. Rest In Peace Robert E. Lee. I hope I meet you one day!

[@AceCazador]

U will in hell lol

[@johnycoho7830]

The only I'm guessing Lee is in Heaven. Grant Too.

[@historymogul2867]

@@johnycoho7830 Well, who knows, They seem to have truly believed but onl God knows

[@historymogul2867]

@*H A L T* that has nothing to do with whether he went to Hell or not You could be the best person on Earth, and still go to hell

[@historymogul2867]

Jim Johnson indeed

[@lancekelley2816]

If you're going to do one on Lee you got to do one on Sherman and Grant.

[@dogbean5015]

Equal treatment of the veterans

[@cheekibreeki2electricbooga582]

He has done them, after you posted the comment but this is for anyone who does not see those videos in their recommended

[@lancekelley2816]

@@cheekibreeki2electricbooga582 I have not seen one on Sherman. If you have please provide the link.

[@cheekibreeki2electricbooga582]

@@lancekelley2816 I don’t know if he has done one on Sherman yet, I was just suggesting that he might of

[@lancekelley2816]

@@cheekibreeki2electricbooga582 still if you see one on Sherman that Simon has done please notify me or let me know! I'm dying to see it!

[@terwandersingh3605]

Robert E Lee should be remembered for the gentleman he was. He deserved the statues erected to him in his memory.

[@vwgames49]

No he doesn’t

[@Mr.VaughanYT]

@@vwgames49 People need to get the f out of their feelings

[@bp4187]

How does a slaveholder get to be a gentleman? People want to know!@@vwgames49

[@LJacyHenry]

I do not support slavery but Lee is one man I do admire. A man of honor.

[@salusoutlook2266]

lee also apposed slavery actually

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

Lincoln didnt care about slavery... read his 1st inaugural. Or the Corwin amendment. The war wasnt about slavery.

[@918Mitchell]

@@00BillyTorontoBill the Republican party was founded with the purpose of abolishing slavery, to say Lincoln didn't care about slavery is an ignorant and inaccurate statement.

[@LoganLS0]

@@salusoutlook2266 Lee owned slaves.

[@jonnyenough1531]

He served in the north, when he inherited slaves, he freed them. He only fought for the south to protect Virginia and that's that.

[@bjs301]

Your channels have the best informational content on KZbin. This video is an excellent example. I don't know how you keep up the high research standards you set.

[@scene2much]

The moment Grant lifts his hat to Lee exiting the courthouse, among soldiers onlooking.... poignant. A moment when victors and the defeated, at least some of them, are joined by Grace.

[@Larrymh07]

This biopic gave me much needed insight into the civil war. I'm a history buff but for some reason I've never been able to keep the chronologies and strategies straight. Excellent work here!

[@ModernReformer]

"The doctrines and miracles of our Savior have required nearly two thousand years to convert but a small portion of the human race, and even among Christian nations what gross errors still exist! While we see the course of the final abolition of human slavery is still onward, and give it the aid of our prayers, let us leave the progress as well as the results in the hands of Him who, chooses to work by slow influences, and with whom a thousand years are but as a single day." - Excerpts from Robert E. Lee's Letter to President Pierce prior to the War

[@calguy3838]

"...let us leave the progress as well as the results in the hands of Him who, chooses to work by slow influences, and with whom a thousand years are but as a single day." This would not have been very encouraging to a slave.

[@anihtgenga4096]

"Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less." -- R.E. Lee.

[@bp4187]

Lee, a traitor by any definition, obviously didn't mean duty to country.

[@briantipton2905]

It’s crazy. As a black man, I have always been indoctrinated to hate this man. I’m 33 years old and after watching this video, and reading more of Lee, I realize that he was not a racist, wasn’t pro slavery. He just wanted to defend his state and protect his family. Regardless of color, wouldn’t we all do this. While most of the confederate states and what they stood for are terrible and wrong, I do have a new understanding on Lee.

[@TheStapleGunKid]

Lee owned slaves, managed slaves, beat slaves, and commanded and army that took slaves, in service of a rebellion carried out for the sole purpose of preserving slavery forever. Lee may not have been a hard-core pro-slavery zealot, but he was a typical slave master of his time. When his authority as a slave-master was challenged, he did not hesitate to use violence to keep his slaves under control. Violence that was typical of the institution his faction fought a war to preserve.

[@NinjaDog9123]

@@TheStapleGunKid Washington owned slaves too. Does that mean he was a bad person? By this logic I hope your realize that almost every famous person back then would be considered bad people and couldn’t have statues just because they did something that everyone else did. Yes. George Washington did own slaves, but at the time it was normal, so it’s not like him in particular should be labeled as a terrible person for it. You can’t just change the law and consider everyone who did it before changing it to be evil. That’s not how it works.

[@TheStapleGunKid]

@@NinjaDog9123 Washington owned slaves, but he didn't lead a rebellion specifically to preserve slavery. On the contrary, when he was president, the only thing Washington did in regards to a rebellion was to crush it.

[@attiepollard7847]

@@TheStapleGunKid exactly do you have traffic and documents about how will he treat his slaves? No

[@TheStapleGunKid]

@@attiepollard7847 Yes we do _"My name is Wesley Norris; I was born a slave on the plantation of George Parke Custis; after the death of Mr. Custis, Gen. Lee, who had been made executor of the estate, assumed control of the slaves, in number about seventy; it was the general impression among the slaves of Mr. Custis that on his death they should be forever free; in fact this statement had been made to them by Mr. C. years before; at his death we were informed by Gen. Lee that by the conditions of the will we must remain slaves for five years; I remained with Gen. Lee for about seventeen months, when my sister Mary, a cousin of ours, and I determined to run away, which we did in the year 1859; we had already reached Westminster, in Maryland, on our way to the North, when we were apprehended and thrown into prison, and Gen. Lee notified of our arrest; we remained in prison fifteen days, when we were sent back to Arlington; we were immediately taken before Gen. Lee, who demanded the reason why we ran away; we frankly told him that we considered ourselves free; he then told us he would teach us a lesson we never would forget; he then ordered us to the barn, where, in his presence, we were tied firmly to posts by a Mr. Gwin, our overseer, who was ordered by Gen. Lee to strip us to the waist and give us fifty lashes each, excepting my sister, who received but twenty; we were accordingly stripped to the skin by the overseer, who, however, had sufficient humanity to decline whipping us; accordingly Dick Williams, a county constable, was called in, who gave us the number of lashes ordered; Gen. Lee, in the meantime, stood by, and frequently enjoined Williams to lay it on well, an injunction which he did not fail to heed; not satisfied with simply lacerating our naked flesh, Gen. Lee then ordered the overseer to thoroughly wash our backs with brine, which was done. After this my cousin and myself were sent to Hanover Court-House jail, my sister being sent to Richmond to an agent to be hired; we remained in jail about a week, when we were sent to Nelson county, where we were hired out by Gen. Lee’s agent to work on the Orange and Alexander railroad; we remained thus employed for about seven months, and were then sent to Alabama, and put to work on what is known as the Northeastern railroad; in January, 1863, we were sent to Richmond, from which place I finally made my escape through the rebel lines to freedom; I have nothing further to say; what I have stated is true in every particular, and I can at any time bring at least a dozen witnesses, both white and black, to substantiate my statements: I am at present employed by the Government; and am at work in the National Cemetary on Arlington Heights, where I can be found by those who desire further particulars; my sister referred to is at present employed by the French Minister at Washington, and will confirm my statement."_ --Wesley Norris, 1866

[@derrickpeterson3400]

A true American hero. Makes me proud to be a southern and a American.

[@mastoner20]

As a Virginia native close to Lexington, I appreciate the neutral outlook on one of our state's most respected non-presidential leaders. It's hard for a lot of native Americans to really understand just how much of a cultural icon he and Jackson truly are to Appalachia and Northern Virginia, and you all seemed to do it justice being foreign to both.

[@jhancock310]

I really appreciate your shows Mister Whistler and this one in particular. I'm from West Texas and graduated from Robert E. Lee high school and didn't know hardly knew any of this. Thank you .

[@badtexasbill5261]

I hope that school can keep it's name.

[@christobanistan8887]

@@badtexasbill5261 its name. You don't put an apostrophe on his or hers, why put it on its?

[@badtexasbill5261]

@@christobanistan8887 good God, man. I'm sure that's just how it came out on the thing that puts the words up. I know the difference between it is and the possessive its. Don't act like "it's" never happened to you. Go ahead, type it. See if it pops up. This is a you tube comment. It's not a published novel.

[@christobanistan8887]

@@badtexasbill5261 O_O

[@sodoffbaldrick3038]

I have visited the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University, and it is very moving. I am a 13th generation New Englander, but all I could feel was awe and respect for this great American man.

[@bp4187]

I think you mean Confederate man. He trashed the American part by leading armies that killed tens of thousands of true Americans, the boys in blue.

[@dbarbour8352]

A fine report on one of the greatest Generals in history. Rise up against those who seek to remove his statues! This is an Iconic American hero. He deserves his public statues.

[@John_Enclave]

Lee's story really is a tradgedy isn't it. A microcosom of the civil war being the greatest tradgedy the united states has ever experienced. Damn this is a good video, i only wish id seen it sooner.

[@christobanistan8887]

Slavery was the worst tragedy the U.S. experienced, but that was a close second.

[@simplyhuman3982]

@@christobanistan8887 except slavery still exists. It was for nothing, that's the tragedy.

[@JamesMartinelli-jr9mh]

@@simplyhuman3982 Slavery is the sole institution from Africa brought to America. It still exists in Africa...as well as in China from whence comes many goods today.

[@aidanlavin8211]

A video about Ulysses S. Grant would be a great parallel this one.

[@thepatrioticpopulist768]

Especially considering the fact that they could not have lived a more different life up to the war.

[@SV-pp9ub]

Star Wars Master lee was definitely a better general

[@RevengeOfTheKaizer]

@Jim Johnson Lee did no such thing. Grant freed the only slave he ever owned even when he had no money.

[@RevengeOfTheKaizer]

@@SV-pp9ub Not the best at grand strategy.

[@luciferlaughs9859]

@@SV-pp9ub No he wasn't. Lee was a major POS!

[@brianliberatore4706]

My great great grandfather, Daniel Santmyers, had his mare shot out from underneath him in the Calvary skirmish just prior to Gettysburg. He was a member of the 7th Va. Calvary. Very cool to see you cover this part of the campaign.

[@zackvogel9820]

I go to robert e lee highschool and they are trying to change the name. I live in northern virginia and i dont see the reason to change the name.

[@a-drewg1716]

bEcAuSe He WaS aN eViL rAcIsT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@christianthompson7915]

it makes some black kids uncomfortable which i understand

[@ryanwill32]

@Billy Cole II i'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic , the random capitalisation and excessive exclamation marks doesn't point to a serious statement

[@eckhardt76]

@@a-drewg1716 Chance are your ancestors were too.

[@Matthew-rc1xt]

@@eckhardt76 he's being sarcastic

[@maxdevlin4349]

I live in Fredrericksburg Va., and worked on that wonderful history filled and very dangerous river for most of my life

[@bythefireside9447]

Some other generals you should cover Admiral Yamamoto 'Stonewall' Jackson Zhukov Rokossovsky Gustloff Mannerheim Aleksei Brusilov Montgomery Philippe Petain

[@paulangelo1974]

And Chesty Puller

[@snakey934Snakeybakey]

and Yigael Yadin

[@guilhermesequeira9373]

And you Conrad

[@OsamaBinDarrel]

And Cornwallis

[@GuyPipili]

Don't forget Alexander the Great. He didn't lose a battle during his conquest.

[@isaacwest276]

My personal top 5 favourite Civil War generals. 5: Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson (Confederate) - Badass and determined General, and easily one of the best American generals of all time. 4: Ambrose Burnside (Union) - Though his military skill was average, he was determined and would become the first NRA president in ‘71. 3: William T. Sherman (Union) - Extremely capable general who won the war in the south including cutting the Confederacy in thirds and taking Atlanta. He would serve as the 9th NRA president in the late 1880s. His relatively cruel tactics starved the Confederacy and probably saved thousands lives. 2: Robert Lee (Confederate) - see video 1: Ulysses Grant (Union) - Lee’s Union counterpart who was likely the number one reason behind the Union’s victory. He always thought of new ways to achieve victory. He would become POTUS in the late 1870s and act as the eighth NRA president six years later. He was also one of the most respectful generals ever. Union soldiers cheered when Lee left after the peace treaty, but Grant stopped them. As POTUS, Grant tried tireless to kick out corruption within his administration, bridge the gap all races (especially African American and Native American) and was sympathetic to the Women’s Suffrage and American Jews (especially those who were kicked out of Russia).

[@shindari]

Your opinions are very educated, but seem to have a common link to the "NRA." Even if you feel that is important to you, is that really an important thing to point out in the context of the Civil War? Because the NRA was not really a thing until after the fact anyway, and has nothing whatsoever to do with any of these Generals' ability to command an army, or win a battle properly. Also, You seem to have Sheridan mixed up with Sherman, as it was William Tecumseh Sherman who led the Union Army through Atlanta, on the way to the ocean. Either this is a mistake, or you are refusing to give credit where credit is due in this case.

[@isaacwest276]

shindari You are correct in both cases. The NRA is a personal reason based on my political views. To me and I did mix up Sheridan with Sherman. I will edit that. If you remove the whole NRA part, I would still consider Grant number 1 (combining his skills as a commander and as the 18th POTUS as he tried to bridge the gap between political parties, races and sexes) and Sherman as 2nd. Though I would have to re-evaluate my other 3. Fun fact: The NRA formed much as a result of the Civil War (far from entirely, but it garnered support because). One of the reasons was for sport, and this was the main non-Civil War related reason. The others was to train civilians to use firearms more efficiently and safely, as Ambrose would regard the accuracy of militia the worst he’s ever seen. And the third biggest reason, and the one that presses the most today is the protection of the 2nd Ammendment. Many Southern Americans lost large portions of property to the Confederate government, including guns, so they could not prevent the government from stealing their property.

[@shindari]

@@isaacwest276 A well-balanced reply. The Sheridan mistake just leaped out at me because it clearly did not mix with what I think we were all educated with. But mistakes are mistakes, and thank God our comments can be duly corrected, otherwise KZbin truly would be a wasteland of nonsense. Minus the NRA inclusions, I would pretty much agree with your ranking of Generals in the first place. Lee was an unparalleled genius of battlefield command for his time, and Grant defeated Lee just because he was willing to use tactics Lee had never conceived of before, and was willing to never quit in the face of some pretty appalling casualties, like many of his Union predecessors did. With Lee as our enemy, Grant was the right man for the job. It's just truly a pity it took so long for the Union Army to realize this.

[@sirronald9100]

Grant was a drunk.....

[@shindari]

@@sirronald9100 Clearly that did not impact his ability to lead an Army. If only some of the "non-drunks" in command of the Union before him could muster the balls to attack Richmond a lot sooner, far less soldiers would have had to die, and the war would have ended a whole lot quicker.

[@justinm4497]

you can't blame lee for that decision really, anyone would want to defend the land they grew up in.

[@camerondavis8356]

I blame him. He was wrong, and Lincoln was wrong to forgive the traitors.

[@christianthompson7915]

Cameron Davis It was much more then that but coming from a southern, i would defend my state proudly.

[@calguy3838]

About 30% of army officers from the South stayed with the Union. The percentage was even higher in Virginia.

[@jamesking6636]

@@camerondavis8356 The terms 'state' or 'where he came from' don't really encapture the complexities of the situation. Understand that these people were his family and friends. Saying that someone was simply bad or 'wrong' as you put it doesn't consider the sheer nuances of his personal life. I'm sure that one as self righteous as yourself could easily turn on your friends and community for the sake of 'good'. You also likely just attribute the civil war entirely to slavery, which was commonplace all over the world during these savage times.

[@pudinbar8516]

Most people in that time had more loyalty to their state than the country. 2nd. The civil war was based mostly about state rights not slavery. Even lincoln did not want the war to be about slavery for the first 3 years. Oh and for the Democrats and liberals remember yall were the one who controlled the south and succeeded whild lincoln was a republican.

[@yaelrar.4460]

Many try to slander this man. It doesn't work. Like Gerorge Washington, Lee was the real deal. A man among men. And like Washington, his troops loved him.

[@christobanistan8887]

@Jim Johnson I can't believe I nearly upvoted your comment. But then I read to the last part. WTF.

[@christobanistan8887]

@Jim Johnson Anyone who owned a slave was deeply flawed, to say the least (that's why we know Lee was good-he freed his immediately after inheriting them). The fact you're nice to them (by your own judgement) or your slaves loved you knowing no better means less than nothing. Your rationalizations are absurd and more than a little sickening.

[@bryanbridges2987]

@@christobanistan8887 But the slaves did know better. They knew full well that other plantations were harsh. That's one reason they were always afraid of being sold away: they were scared of being bought by a bad plantation owner. Owning a slave makes you deeply flawed, huh? That's always the case, huh? I can't wait for the Judgement Day, when you will actually see people who owned slaves throughout history. I bet many, many were better people than either of us.

[@Vinstant_Karma87]

Yup, a real traitor fighting to keep people in bondage. Real deal POS.

[@NotWhiteRice]

@@Vinstant_Karma87 Virginia didn't even secede because of slavery. Virginia seceded when Lincoln called for Virginian troops to quell the seceding states, since they didn't want to take up arms against their neighbors

[@RockingRobby505]

I must commend you for being objective Mr. Whistler. In a time when many would sweep history under the rug for current narratives this is an excellent historical video.

[@shakia_says]

No one sweeps it under a rug. He lost and was racist. What did I miss?

[@thefirely1439]

@@shakia_says he was against secession and against slavery and the only reason he didn't fight with the union was he would have had to fight local virginians. Its easy to say that he should have sided with the union now but when you are faced with the possibility of killing people you know it is not so easy. It is also worth mentioning that he blatantly ignored orders to not surrender and surrendered in good faith. He later used all of his resources to help with reconstruction and unifying the country under an american flag. Grant and Lincoln still had great admiration for the man.

[@gsam_dad5540]

@@shakia_says oh dear here comes blind ignorance & stupidity with the classic 'racist' nonsense...

[@gustory1186]

@@shakia_says Lincoln won and he was a racist.

[@ogBohica]

@@shakia_says he fought to defend his home

[@MrMrramuh]

Love what y'all are doing. This is my favorite channel on youtube. I'd love to see you guys do a series on famous musicians and composers!

[@cannon0587]

Love how he pronounces “Potomac” LoL

[@road_king_dude]

Blind sided me.

[@allisonbarber775]

I couldn't figure out what he was saying at first. Once I figured it out I was correcting him every time he said Potomac.

[@astralclub5964]

Lee showed wisdom at the end of the war. He was approached by soldiers who wanted him to order them to disperse and continue the war as hit and run guerrilla attacks. Lee saw that such a campaign would only lead to more bitterness and death, and would be ultimately futile.

[@rachelb3449]

AWESOME Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

[@dougdouglas3945]

I've watched this video, and many many others from you, for years Simon and just realized I've never said thanks. You're videos are always educational and entertaining, delivered in your unique "Simon-esque" style. Thank you for all the time & effort. Thank you for all your videos, this one in particular. Keep up the good work!

[@fatwalrus4011]

These videos have re ignited my interest in history. Thank you

[@rickynotricardo6328]

Outstanding work on this! Keep it up Simon and Co!

[@kevrolld]

Robert E. Lee was & always will be respected by the entirety of the country. Arguably the greatest soldier of his time & predicted the planned length of the Civil War despite both sides not believing it. Becoming the country's #1 subject of importance/agenda in the War due to how many times he continually won against the Union through militarily, strategic prowess. If he was not the only single man outsmarting the North left & right on the battlefield & his support not fail him, Lee would have had the chance to end the War politically & as peacefully as possible. Because that opportunity was squandered he personally chose to sacrifice his image, name, and effort for the sake of everyone who stood by him. Single-handedly delivering & knowingly creating a media narrative that would tarnish his reputation for the sacrifice he recognized in American blood. In Grant's autobiography, Grant was so overcome by Lee's influence that he admitted to being politically & administratively outclassed to outdebated in the Surrender of Appomattox. Citing that Lee had technically only surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia and persuaded virtually zero penalty following the Civil War. Truly one of the greatest figures of all-time.

[@American-Plague]

Respected by the entirety of the country? I must've been watching different news than you where certain groups of people along with SJW's were screaming to rip down any memorial to him (and succeeded) and calling anyone who respects him a racist bigot. A sad state of affairs we've allowed this country to devolve into in a very short period of time.

[@spinner771]

@@American-Plague Whites literally made those monuments during the civil rights era as a scare tactic. Why should I pay for a statue of some dead southern devil that wouldve had me in chains? honor him on your property or the gov should build monuments for the black panthers and malcolm x

[@American-Plague]

@@spinner771 You aren't paying for it. Wtf are you talking about? They've already been built. They've already been paid for. Any more strawman arguments?

[@spinner771]

@@American-Plague You do pay dummy, its called maintence. All monuments are tax funded, you dont even know basic facts. So why not put them on private property? And I love how you dodged why and when they were put up.

[@American-Plague]

@@spinner771 Blacks make up only 14% of the population in America yet somehow they receive 25% of the food stamps received each year on average. Thought I'd throw those numbers out there. I can send you source links of you'd like. You don't mind paying that do you? Or are you a recipient yourself?

[@tunnelrat6809]

What a wonderful biography. Thank you.

[@TH-in2qw]

This was Excellent. Thank you.

[@MonkeyKing000]

Another great Biograpic. Even in subjects I am well versed in, there is always something to learn. A lot of information and entertainment in a easy to consume format. I love it.

[@Britanical1]

Really do enjoy this series of videos

[@Cts_99]

Awesome vid

[@terrystephens1102]

An excellent presentation, thanks.😃👌👏👏👏

[@ShoalBear]

I thank you for this video!! While anything to do with the confederacy is now considered pure evil, it is important to remember that nothing is purely good or evil. A great man is still a great man.

[@wokinmale4184]

ShoalBear he lost

[@jackbeach2131]

Wokin Male every single statistic will show you he should’ve lost years earlier due to the north being superior in every way except leadership

[@Ares99999]

+Creations Elite He still lost.

[@KingofDiamonds85]

Hannibal lost and yet is still considered a brilliant general

[@supermansaunders4206]

HOW can someone who fought so fervently to keep black people in chains, a good man? Ya'll white folks are purely delusional.

[@stanthemafia]

That’s was amazing, thanks for educating me

[@Real_SkyRipper]

him and Stonewall Jackson are so awesome that even i a Portuguese know about them lol.

[@MichaelSmith-ct1xl]

Wonderful & informative as usual!

[@GuyAld]

I love this channel along with your othe channels, keep up the good work

[@johnfoster535]

Having studied Lee in great depth, I can say this video is very accurate in its short form. What is missing is how beloved he was by his soldiers, and by the people of the South, as well. He was selfless in character and set a flawless example of personal sacrifice in his dedication to the duty he took on in defending Virginia. The description of Gettysburg here is flawed. Lee DELIBERATELY considered the town as a proper location to battle the Union army....he had spies in the town for weeks and saw the five major roads that converged from all directions as an opportunity to concentrate his whole force there upon separate Union Corps as they arrived piecemeal to the battle, having to spread out in a long arc since Lincoln ordered them to keep Washington covered as Lee marched north....just as Lee predicted. No mention is given here of the refusal of General Longstreet to attack the still unreinforced Union corps early in the morning of the second day of battle. Longstreet delayed until four pm, allowing masses of Union reinforcements to arrive and ruining Lee's brilliant original plan which had worked on the first day, and which he had conceived with Stonewall Jackson months before. Longstreet delayed AGAIN on the third day of battle, forcing Lee to hastily conceive the "Pickett's Charge " idea, and even THEN, Longstreet screwed THAT up by not insuring his artillery supported the critical infantry charge, as Lee had ordered. Pickett's battlefield report was so critical of other officers, namely Longstreet., that Lee ordered him to destroy it and, typical of his noble character, took the full blame himself. His staff officers and other Generals knew DIFFERENT and supported Lee many years later when Longstreet wrote a book and criticized Lee. Lee was a magnificent American hero, and was widely respected in the North, especially by Ulysses Grant who had served under him in the Mexican War. Grant threatened to RESIGN when President Andrew Johnson spoke of charging Lee and Davis with treason. President Lincoln had been told by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that the states DID have the Constitutional right to secede, based on what Connecticut did in the War of 1812.....trying to secede to avoid British attack. That meant that Lee defending his home state against attack by a federal army was LEGAL, and that it would have been WRONG to charge him,or, anyone else in the South with treason. Lee told General Scott he intended to sit out the war if Virginia voted to NOT secede, as it had done five times before....he could not lead an attack against it. Once it HAD seceded, Lee felt his duty was to defend it....the state where his father was governor for three terms.

[@aaronfleming9426]

Lee's original "plan" on the 2nd day of Gettysburg was meaningless at best, because it was based on garbage intelligence. It called for Longstreet to attack up the Emmitsburg Road, which would have put his right flank in the air to be enfiladed by Sickles' corps. The Union army had not been fully reinforced yet, but its left was far stronger than Lee knew. If Longstreet had persisted in attacking when and where Lee initially ordered, he would have been destroyed. I'm not saying Longstreet delayed because he knew something Lee didn't. Neither one of them had a clue about the troop dispositions on the Federal left. What is clear is that Longstreet understood that he was being given terrible intelligence by Lee's staff officers and was having a difficult time following orders from his commander that were confused at best and meaningless at worst. I think any subordinate would be wise to move cautiously in such a situation, and Longstreet was certainly right in this case. As it happened, the delay gave Sickles time to be his truly idiotic self and move his corps out of place, placing himself in a weak forward position, far from support, and directly in the path of Longstreet's juggernaut. And when Longstreet finally attacked, his corps was devastating - see also 2nd Bull Run and Chickamauga. Longstreet's effectiveness and Sickles' incompetence nearly combined to win the day for Lee.

[@annwilliams6438]

Thx Jamie Logan. A very nice rounded summary.

[@user-oh9nh6zl2c]

Just Watch the movie "GETTYSBURG" .... Surprisingly Martin Sheen Plays an EXCELLENT Robert E. Lee !!! Also the Unscripted breaking of the ranks as LEE rode by the troops before the battle, is beyond emotional description. The Re-enactors (extras) were so caught up in the moment, an exceptional film moment happened.

[@CalebSpears1]

Oh, Potomac River, will you ever be pronounced correctly?

[@cmeflywva]

caleb spears - When will the Appalachian Mountains be pronounced correctly also?

[@paulinotou]

He's British so its understandable. I'm mean based off the spelling he isn't really wrong.

[@map1825]

It's pronounced: po - TOH -mac Emphasis on the second syllable. That threw me for a few seconds as well.

[@saultman19]

It took me half the video to figure out he was referencing the Potomac 😣 I’d love to hear Simon take on our New England pronunciations... Piscataqua River anyone?

[@davidakins4431]

alfred cortines agreed

[@allanchurm]

Arlington National Cemetery..watched over by the home of one of the most loved generals in history.

[@davidpalmer7839]

Very good video and thank you. What a true American hero!

[@stlchucko]

Lee was a man who found for what he believed was honorable. He struggled with the decision between staying with the US army he fought for and fighting to protect his family, neighbors, and home. He was stuck between a rock and hard place. I don’t blame him for leaving the US army to fight on the confederate side because his intentions were honorable. I believe that’s why his contemporaries, even those with the union, respected him.

[@graciebeauregard8345]

PGT Beauregard. He was also a highly respected and interesting confederate general from Louisiana (and my great great great grandfather)

[@yaelrar.4460]

Wow! Very cool!!👍

[@lamontpearce170]

Cool I lived in Beauregard parish when I was younger Have read a little about him I like what I read

[@Randy-nk2ne]

Thank you for a fair and balanced video on this great man.Rare to see it these days .

[@danreed2189]

Well done as usual.

[@pandorasbox4238]

Lee was quite an interesting character and, regardless of who he fought for, a genuinely good person.

[@GhostlyJorg]

fighting for a horrific cause hardly makes you a "genuinely good person"

[@scottfree9601]

@@GhostlyJorg Every cause is horrific to somebody. The same Union army from the Civil War continued on to fight bloody Indian Wars almost immediately after the conflict against the Confederate States. By placing the ills of society on everyone you create a world that is more hell than it is life. We are responsible for our own actions and Lee understood his actions well. Slavery was a part of American life and he as one could do nothing to change it. Everything begins and ends in its own God determined time and all we can do is follow our best judgements through our allotted time.

[@jboss119]

@@noneofyourbusiness2766 hahaha... sure it was. Less laziness would show he was scum huh.... you are obviously ignorant.

[@jboss119]

@@GhostlyJorg such a small view of the world.

[@TacSprint]

@@GhostlyJorg The man fought to protect his family and his home. Anything to do with slavery wasn't on his mind.