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By turning down a senior position in the Union army, of which he would probably have become General-in-Chief in a few months.

Even though he disapproved of secession, he felt he should go with his state (Virginia), and so he resigned from the US Army to join the Confederates.

His string of victories in summer 1862 brought England and France close to granting recognition to the Confederacy and sending military aid, but his momentum was checked by the unexpected defeat at Antietam. Two more spectacular wins followed, but the second one cost him his most brilliant lieutenant Stonewall Jackson, and his health also started to fail at this time. Defeat at Gettysburg (sometimes called the Confederate High Watermark) ended his glory days, and he was on the defensive from that point onwards until he surrendered to U.S. Grant at Appomattox.

He had been appointed to the newly-created post of General-in-Chief of the Confederates at the end of January 1865, too late to make any difference.

He remains the embodiment of the Lost Cause - a popular but largely-mythical legend of courage, honour and noble leadership.

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14y ago

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