Sage-Tips

Why did Lee move his army north?

In June 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia invaded the North in hopes of relieving pressure on war-torn Virginia, defeating the Union Army of the Potomac on Northern soil, and striking a decisive blow to Northern morale.

Did General Lee fight for the North?

As commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, he fought most of his battles against armies of significantly larger size, and managed to win many of them….

Robert E. Lee
Commands held	General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States U.S. Military Academy Army of Northern Virginia

Why was Lee moving his army blind?

General Robert E. Lee rises. He is having some slight heart troubles and is taking things easy. He discusses the military situation with his aide, Taylor, noting that General Stuart has not reported back with the position of the Union army, thus leaving Lee blind.

Why did Lee move his army into Maryland and then into Pennsylvania?

If he remained in Virginia, Lee would be forced to react to Union movements, whereas in Maryland or Pennsylvania he would hold the initiative. Lee believed he could easily flank the enemy by crossing the Potomac upriver from Washington and marching the Army of Northern Virginia through Maryland.

Why did General Lee fight for the South?

Although he felt slavery in the abstract was a bad thing, he blamed the national conflict on abolitionists, and accepted the pro-slavery policies of the Confederacy. He chose to fight to defend his homeland.

Did Robert E Lee take his troops north of the Mason Dixon line?

After a year of defensive victories in Virginia, Lee’s objective was to win a victory north of the Mason-Dixon line in the hopes of forcing a negotiated end to the fighting. Lee began moving north on June 3. Advance elements of Lee’s army crossed the Potomac on June 15 and reached the Susquehanna River by June 28.

Why did General Lee join the Confederate army?

Despite his clear affection for the United States, Lee left its army—which brings us to a third level of loyalty. He strongly identified with the slaveholding South, and this loyalty, which aligned nicely with his sense of being a Virginian, helped guide him in the secession crisis.

What did General Lee do before the Civil War?

Born into a Virginia family whose members had for generations assumed public leadership roles, Robert E. Lee followed the path of his illustrious father and became a soldier.

Why did Lee decide to move his army north?

“Made when it is in our power to inflict injury upon our adversary,” reasoned Lee with his army’s northward movement in mind, such a proposal “would show conclusively to the world that our sole object is the establishment of our independence, and the attainment of honorable peace.”

How many soldiers did Robert E Lee have in his army?

Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia has won many victories, but suffered heavy losses in two years of war. Soldiers have been brought in from all over the Confederacy to swell Lee’s ranks to nearly 75,000 soldiers. The army is smaller than the Union Army of the Potomac at perhaps 90,000, but Lee is confident in his men’s fighting abilities.

What happens to Lee’s Army in the Shenandoah Valley?

Lee’s army continues its march to the Shenandoah Valley, where it will assemble and turn north. As they did the year before in the Antietam campaign, the Rebels will keep South Mountain between them and the Yankees to the east.

Why did Lee decide to invade the north in September 1862?

Robert E. Lee’s Decision to Invade the North in September 1862. Lee hoped to keep his army on United States soil through much of the autumn, not with the intention of capturing and holding territory but with an eye toward accomplishing several goals before returning to Virginia as winter approached.