The son of Revolutionary War officer Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee III and a top graduate of the United States Military Academy, Robert E. Lee distinguished himself as an exceptional officer and combat engineer in the United States Army for 32 years. During this time, he served throughout the United States, distinguished himself during the Mexican-American War, served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, and married Mary Custis.

In 1860, Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee relieved Major Heintzelman, Fort Brown, and the Mexican authorities offered to restrain “their citizens from making predatory descents upon the territory and people of Texas…this was the last active operation of the Cortina War”. Rip Ford, Texas Rangers at the time, described Lee as, “dignified without hateur, grand without pride…he evinced an imperturbable self-possession, and a complete control of his passions…possessing the capacity to accomplish great ends and the gift of controlling and leading men.”

Abraham Lincoln’s originally wanted Robert E. Lee to lead the Union army. Lee, however, chose to remain with his home state of Virginia, and instead lead the Confederate army, in effect turning down the president.

When Lee rode to the Appomattox Court House to surrender on April 9, 1865, he was riding his favorite and most well known horse. This gray colored horse was Traveller. After the Civil War, when Robert E. Lee was president at Washington University (later renamed to Washington and Lee University), Lee’s favorite old war-horse Traveller was still with him. When Lee died, the horse Traveller walked behind Lee’s hearse in the funeral procession. Traveller walked with his head bowed and in a slow gait. Traveller is buried outside of the Lee Chapel on the campus of Washington and Lee University. Robert E. Lee is interred in a crypt beneath the Lee Chapel.