He was important.
Lee wore only the three star insignia of a Confederate colonel, which was the highest rank he had earned in the US Army before the civil war began. He wanted to receive a peacetime promotion to general after the Civil War was one, assuming it would be the Confederates that were the victors.
Robert E. Lee progressed through the ranks from Second Lieutenant, 1829, to Colonel, 28 March 1861, while serving in the United States Army. Within a few weeks of that final promotion, Lee was offered the position of Major General, 18 April 1861, but he turned that down, and resigned his US Army commission, 20 April 1861. Lee accepted an offer from the CSA to take command of the defense of Virginia, 23 April 1861, and was one of the first five people to be named as a full General by the CSA, not long after. Even though he was appointed as a full General, and later, 31 January 1865, named the General-in-Chief of Confederate Forces, Lee refused to wear anything but the insignia of a Colonel, three stars, until the CSA had won the war and he could be properly appointed as a General, during peace time.
General Robert E. Lee. He was asked by President Abraham Lincoln if he would command the Union forces but he declined, with much difficulty, saying that he could not fight against his state, Virgina. While Robert E. Lee was still a colonel in the US Army, it's clear he was offered a commanding position in the Union army, however, the actual US general making this offer was probably Winfield Scott. Nevertheless, President Lincoln would have approved of this. Also, Lee's position in the Confederate army at first was a minor commission. Later he would advance and become the leading, most highly regarded Confederate general.
Because he told Sherman to destroy the Army of Tennessee, while he himself would attend to the Army of Northern Virginia.
The two recipients of the Medal of Honor buried at Arlington National Cemetery are Major General David H. Berger and Colonel Charles H. Coolidge. Major General Berger received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War, while Colonel Coolidge was recognized for his bravery in World War II. Their graves serve as a testament to their extraordinary courage and service to the United States.
In May 1863, Genral Robert E. Lee fought and defeated the Unions Army again in Chancellorsville, by splittting his army and delivering a flanking attack on the Unions army while General Robert E. Lee's army was outnumbered two to one. This is said to be his greatest victory.
Very basically speaking, the difference is one step in rank. While a Lt. Colonel is normally referred to a Colonel, a Colonel is sometimes to referred to as a "full bird colonel" to distinguish the difference. In the Army at least, a Lt. Colonel wears a clover leaf rank insignia (silver, I think) but a full Colonel wears an eagle insignia, hence the reference "full bird."
The rank insignia for a major general typically features a single star (or pip), while a lieutenant general's insignia incorporates the major's insignia (crossed swords and baton) with additional stars. This distinction symbolizes the hierarchy within the ranks: a major general is one step below a lieutenant general, represented visually by the simpler insignia. The use of a pip for major generals emphasizes their role as senior officers, while the additional elements for lieutenant generals denote their higher authority and responsibilities in military leadership.
A colonel has a higher rank than a brigadier. In military hierarchy, a brigadier typically refers to a brigadier general, which is a one-star general rank, while a colonel is a senior field officer rank, generally above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general. Thus, in terms of ranking, a colonel ranks lower than a brigadier general.
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) is a higher rank than 1st Lieutenant (1LT). LTC is a fairly senior rank, while 1LT is a junior officer. In the US Army, (commissioned) officer ranks from lowest to highest are: Second Lieutenant First Lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General Major General Lieutenant General General General of the Army (AKA "five star general" - this rank was only awarded to WWII era generals like MacArthur and Eisenhower) In the US Army, junior officers (Second Lieutenant - Captain) are referred to as company grade officers, while Majors-Colonels are referred to as field grade. General officers are also known as "flag officers" because they're entitled to fly a personal flag with their rank insignia on it.
The answer to the analogy "Emblem is to insignia" is "Symbol is to badge." Both pairs represent items that serve as representations or identifiers, with "emblem" and "symbol" being more general terms, while "insignia" and "badge" refer to specific types of identifiers often used in formal or official contexts.
Robert E. Lee progressed through the ranks from Second Lieutenant, 1829, to Colonel, 28 March 1861, while serving in the United States Army. Within a few weeks of that final promotion, Lee was offered the position of Major General, 18 April 1861, but he turned that down, and resigned his US Army commission, 20 April 1861. Lee accepted an offer from the CSA to take command of the defense of Virginia, 23 April 1861, and was one of the first five people to be named as a full General by the CSA, not long after. Even though he was appointed as a full General, and later, 31 January 1865, named the General-in-Chief of Confederate Forces, Lee refused to wear anything but the insignia of a Colonel, three stars, until the CSA had won the war and he could be properly appointed as a General, during peace time.
Custer was a colonel during the Battle of Little Big Horn, as a regiment is normally commanded by a colonel, while a general commands multiple regiments. I think the confusion over Custer's rank is because during the Civil War he was promoted to brevet general (sort of a temporary general, promoted in the field). After the war Custer got himself in some trouble and was demoted back to colonel, and he never rose to the rank of general again.
"Kernel" and "colonel" are homophones, meaning they sound the same but have different meanings. "Kernel" typically refers to the softer, edible part of a seed or nut, while "colonel" is a military rank above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general.
The color of insignia can vary significantly depending on the organization, branch of service, or specific purpose of the insignia. Common colors include gold, silver, blue, red, and green, often used to symbolize different meanings or ranks. Military insignia, for example, frequently incorporates colors that denote rank or branch, while corporate insignia may use brand colors for identification. Ultimately, the specific color will depend on the context in which the insignia is used.
Robert F. Kennedy
* General * Lt. General * Maj. General * Brig. General * Colonel * Lt. Colonel * Major * Captain * 1st Lt. * 2nd Lt * WO1 * CWO2 * CWO3 * CWO3 * CWO4 * CWO5 * Sgt. Major/Master Gunnery Sgt * First Sgt/Master Sgt. * Gunnery Sgt * Staff Sgt * Sgt * Corporal * Lance Corporal * Private First Class * Private * Recruit (not a rank, but status while in boot camp)
Robert E. Lee was probably the best General during that time period. He worked with coal and turned it to gold. The Souths most influential leader was Robert E. Lee while that North had Abraham Lincoln.