Lee has always been something of a bizarre case. Mexican War hero. Career military man. Family legacy of 1776. Offered command to put down the Rebellion but rejects it because he couldn't fight against his "home"... and yet there were plenty of southerners who honored their oath to defend the USA and the Constitution, like fellow Virginian George Henry Thomas. Was Lee truly a committed white supremacist slaver? I don't think so. He was more Jeffersonian than say, Alexander Stevens. Is it possible Lee was just used as a pawn by the Rebel puppet masters?
His command of the southern department (Carolinas, Georgia, Florida) and efforts to fortify defenses was fairly well done... Essentially kept Union forces stuck on Hilton Head and in Beaufort, away from Savannah and Charleston for far longer than they should have been. He wasn't a complete idiot, in fact did have a fairly wise military mind. So why then did he adopt such stupid strategies when in command of the Army of Northern VA and then of all Confederate forrces? Antietam was a terrible mistake, but then to do it again but worse at Gettysburg? Constantly refusing to reinforce the Western Theater where Grant made fools of the carousel of terrible Rebel commanders... taking units from the deep south for use in the ANV, as opposed to defending their home states of TN, MS, AR, AL, GA etc...
Dare I suggest it was almost as if Lee was intentionally trying to destroy any chance of Confederate success... he snatched defeat from the grasp of victory...
Ah yes, the very important secret plans that happened to be wrapped around cigars and very easily picked up by the enemy. Who'd be dumb enough to risk such info falling into enemy hands? There's also a lot of evidence of spy rings and intelligence gathering on both sides. It's quite possible Lee could have been in communication with anyone and everyone.
Lee has always been something of a bizarre case. Mexican War hero. Career military man. Family legacy of 1776. Offered command to put down the Rebellion but rejects it because he couldn't fight against his "home"... and yet there were plenty of southerners who honored their oath to defend the USA and the Constitution, like fellow Virginian George Henry Thomas. Was Lee truly a committed white supremacist slaver? I don't think so. He was more Jeffersonian than say, Alexander Stevens. Is it possible Lee was just used as a pawn by the Rebel puppet masters?
His command of the southern department (Carolinas, Georgia, Florida) and efforts to fortify defenses was fairly well done... Essentially kept Union forces stuck on Hilton Head and in Beaufort, away from Savannah and Charleston for far longer than they should have been. He wasn't a complete idiot, in fact did have a fairly wise military mind. So why then did he adopt such stupid strategies when in command of the Army of Northern VA and then of all Confederate forrces? Antietam was a terrible mistake, but then to do it again but worse at Gettysburg? Constantly refusing to reinforce the Western Theater where Grant made fools of the carousel of terrible Rebel commanders... taking units from the deep south for use in the ANV, as opposed to defending their home states of TN, MS, AR, AL, GA etc...
Dare I suggest it was almost as if Lee was intentionally trying to destroy any chance of Confederate success... he snatched defeat from the grasp of victory...
Ah yes, the very important secret plans that happened to be wrapped around cigars and very easily picked up by the enemy. Who'd be dumb enough to risk such info falling into enemy hands? There's also a lot of evidence of spy rings and intelligence gathering on both sides. It's quite possible Lee could have been in communication with anyone and everyone.