The Old World with Will Tanner

This is the story of William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, the second son of Robert E. Lee and the man known to both his contemporaries and history as Rooney Lee. As a young man, he defined the Virginia "habit of command" while a beloved but not overly studious student at Harvard alongside Henry Adams. As an officer, he was an incredible cavalry commander who became the youngest Major General in the Confederate Army, leading with distinction throughout years of war and despite immense personal tragedy. After the war, he helped show Virginians how to rebuild through his magnificent effort at restoring his White House plantation and establishing a program of scientific agriculture at Ravensworth plantation. He then became a Virginia State Senator, and a member of the United States House of Representatives before passing away, one of the last great Lees. Rooney Lee was a man of faith and duty, a dashing Cavalier of a talented commander, a loving husband and father, and an example of the Virginia gentleman, being one of the last great examples of what the Virginia gentry was like. Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/ Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ 0:00 Rooney Lee: A Cavalier in His Own Right 4:54 A Restless Boyhood 10:38 The Virginian at Harvard 21:36 From College to the Frontier Army 26:06 Marriage and the White House Plantation 28:04 A Cavalier Rides to War 31:10 Stuart's Daring Ride Around McClellan 38:33 Loss, Wounding, and Imprisonment 52:33 Rooney Lee's Final Campaigns 59:48 Rebuilding from the Ruins 1:04:44 A New Family and a Farming Legacy 1:08:09 Virginia's Statesman 1:09:34 A Lee in Congress 1:12:33 A Quiet Farewell and Lasting Legacy Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Daughtry, Mary, Gray Cavalier: The Life and Wars of General William H. F. Rooney Lee, https://link.amazon/B07b2Jjh1 Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

In this episode, Will discussed the family life of Robert E. Lee, and the lives of Lee's children. He argues that Robert E. Lee was a good and caring father, but also an overbearing one, and that his children largely struggled to escape his shadow and live independent, fulfilling lives of the sort that characterized earlier generations of the Lee family and the Virginia gentry of which they were a part. He goes through the lives of each of the Lee children, discussing Custis Lee, Mary Lee, Rooney Lee, Annie Lee, Agnes Lee, Rob Lee, and Mildred Lee, along with commenting on Robert E. Lee's relationship to each and their being raised at Arlington House. Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/ Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ 0:00 Arlington's Lee Family Legacy 6:37 Custis Lee: The Dutiful Heir 10:00 Custis Lee's War Without Glory 16:46 Custis Lee Reclaims Arlington 22:35 Mary Lee, the Family Rebel 27:45 Mary Lee's Life of Travel 31:12 Rooney Lee, the Cavalier 36:32 Rooney's War and Personal Loss 39:54 Annie Lee's Short, Gentle Life 47:03 Agnes Lee's Tragic Romance 53:41 Rob Lee, the Unpretentious Soldier 1:04:00 Mildred Lee, Her Father's "Precious Life" 1:09:13 The Children of Arlington Remembered Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

Robert E. Lee Is remembered as the "Marble Man," or the "Marble Model". A man so defined by his devotion to duty, personal virtue, and upright character as to seem chiselled from stone rather than made of flesh and blood. In this episode, Will examines that myth of Robert E Lee, discussing how his upbringing and career turned him into the last great flower of the Virginia gentry, a man who perfectly defined the terms "Christian Soldier" and "Virginia gentleman". Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/ Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ 0:23 Old Virginia's Old-World Ideal 5:07 The Marble Man's Human Complexity 7:14 The Lee Family of Virginia: A Dynasty in Ruin 12:15 How Lee Learned Duty and Self-Control 14:37 The Making of the Marble Model 18:21 Lee's Faith and Christian Code 25:18 Choosing Virginia 28:05 Leading the Army of Northern Virginia 34:46 Lee's Restraint in War and Defeat 40:43 How Lee Rebuilt Virginia After the Confederacy 44:28 Teaching Young Men Duty at Washington College 47:14 A Quiet Act of Christian Fellowship 50:22 The Making of Lee's Myth 56:11 Recovering the Human Lee 59:00 Lee's Enduring Legacy 1:04:03 The Limits of Chivalry Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

After the Civil War, Robert E. Lee became president of Washington College, now known as Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia. Though some expected him to serve mainly as a figurehead, Lee took an active role in running the school and set out to reshape its curriculum. He believed the South's next generation of leaders needed practical training alongside classical education, including civil and mining engineering, agricultural chemistry, modern languages, law, business, and journalism. He also established the honor system, took a close personal interest in students, attracted massive donations, and helped guide the young men in his charge through Reconstruction while using his vacations to help effect reconciliation between North and South. His fading health meant he had but a few years to make a difference, and this he did with exceptional ability, which the country thanked him for in the months before his death, when he took a grand tour through the Southern states. He passed away in September of 1870. Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ 0:00 Lee's College Revolution 1:57 Rebuilding Southern Education 4:06 A Practical University 9:58 The Honor System 18:24 Faith Without Coercion 22:45 Lee and Reconstruction 33:04 A Bid for Reconciliation 36:23 Integrity in Poverty 38:49 Ailing in Service 41:33 A Farewell Journey 47:25 Lee's Final Days 53:30 A Nation Mourns 55:35 Victory After Appomattox Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

After his surrender at Appomattox, Robert E. Lee returned to a devastated Richmond and began his final campaign: helping Virginia recover and encouraging reconciliation. The war had left him with little money or property, his home at Arlington confiscated, his citizenship in question, and the threat of a treason trial. He chose to remain in Virginia and urged former Confederates to accept the end of the fighting, return home, and rebuild despite Reconstruction. This episode tracks that, and shows Lee's life in Richmond, his time at Derwent, and how he came to become president of Washington College, now Washington & Lee University. Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ 0:00 Lee Returns to a Ruined Richmond 2:57 A New Campaign of Reconciliation 8:23 Virginia in Ruins 16:43 Rejecting Guerrilla War and Exile 22:09 Lee's Oath and the Road to Reunion 28:44 Seeking Peace at Derwent 35:05 Washington College Nears Collapse 40:27 The Offer That Changed Lee's Life 45:26 Weighing the Call to Serve 50:19 Lee's Arrival in Lexington 52:53 A Quiet Inauguration Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

This is the tale of how the Confederacy was defeated in the spring of 1865, tracking General Ulysses S. Grant's final victoyr at Petersburg after General John B. Gordon failed assault on Fort Stedman and the disaster at Five Forks. What followed was the chaotic evacuation of Richmond, the retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia, a Confederate supply disaster that halted the army, and the eventual necessity of surrender at Appomattox. Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/ Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Confederacy Nears Collapse 3:28 Lee Appointed Commander 4:38 Fort Stedman Gamble 5:59 Petersburg Breaks Open 8:55 Richmond Evacuated 9:47 Amelia Courthouse Disaster 11:45 Sailor's Creek Massacre 13:32 Appomattox Encircled 15:32 Lee Chooses Surrender 18:00 Appomattox Surrender Talks 21:35 Grant's Generous Terms 25:12 Lee's Farewell Order 26:31 Final Surrender Ceremony 28:03 Lee Returns Home Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

In the autumn of 1863, after Gettysburg, the war in northern Virginia became a series of maneuvers between a depleted Union army and Robert E. Lee's weakened Army of Northern Virginia. Lee also had to detach James Longstreet to help Braxton Bragg in the West, leaving the Army of Northern Virginia badly outnumbered. Further, what opportunities there were were marred by bad luck at the battle of Mine Run and AP Hill's poor judgment at Bristow Station. The appointment of Ulysses S. Grant changed the war substantially, as Grant decided to grind Lee's army down in a war of attrition. What followed was the campaign in the Wilderness, featuring battles at Spotsylvania and North Anna, including Bloody Angle, with Grant sustaining enormous casualties. The campaign culminated at Cold Harbor, where Grant was defeated. What followed was the Siege of Petersburg, which ground on into 1865 after Union failure in the Battle of the Crater. Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/ Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Get Our Robert E Lee Coffee Mug here: https://wbsapparel.shop/product/general-lee-coffee-mug/ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Post-Gettysburg Attrition 1:33 Longstreet's Detachment 2:19 Bristow Station Blunder 5:14 Mine Run Fortifications 9:49 Grant Takes Command 13:21 The Wilderness Opens 16:16 Longstreet Wounded 17:45 Grant Refuses Retreat 18:40 The Mule Shoe Trap 21:09 Bloody Angle Breakthrough 25:11 North Anna Trap 27:28 Cold Harbor Slaughter 30:45 Grant Marches South 33:17 Petersburg Siege Begins 34:56 The Crater Explosion Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

After the Maryland campaign and bloody draw at Antietam, the Army of Northern Virginia rested and refitted in the Shenandoah Valley before returning to the Rappahannock. During this pause, Robert E. Lee refitted, disciplined, and reorganized his army to reflect his faith in Jackson while the Union Army moved to strike at Fredericksburg, eventually doing so at the cost of an astounding 13,000 casualties. During the winter at Moss Neck and nearby camps, Lee and Jackson spent time in close consultation, discussing the next campaigns, refining their strategy as their bond grew all the closer. Then, when Joseph Hooker struck at Chancellorsville, the time to test their developed beliefs came and Lee, despite being outnumbered, split his force again and sent Jackson on a flank march through the Wilderness. Jackson's march led to the surprise attack on the Union XI Corps on May 2. The Federal flank collapsed in confusion, and the Confederates drove them back in a major tactical victory. That night, while reconnoitering in the dark, Jackson was mistakenly fired upon by Confederate soldiers and severely wounded. Jackson's arm was amputated, but he later developed pneumonia and died on May 10, 1863. Lee mourned his death deeply and reorganized the army without him. The episode ends by marking Jackson's death at Chancellorsville as a turning point, and by looking ahead to Gettysburg and the later campaigns. Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Lee Rebuilds His Army, and Burnside Takes Command 7:14 Fredericksburg Under Fire 16:38 The Last Great Winter: Recuperation at Moss Neck 19:50 Hooker Rises to Challenge Lee 24:26 The Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson: Preparing the Thunderclap 28:29 Jackson Flanks the Union 32:18 Lee Loses Jackson Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

This episode traces the incredible, glorious partnership between Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson during the American Civil War. It begins with their contrasting backgrounds and temperaments, explaining why they together formed an especially effective command team for the Army of Northern Virginia. The story then moves to the Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, noting how Jackson's rapid movements and attacks fulfilled Lee's wishes perfectly, and built Lee's confidence in Jackson to the point that the two men could work closely together. The episode next covers Second Manassas, showing how faith in Jackson allowed Lee to divide his army in an attempt to crush Pope. He sent Jackson on a long flank march behind John Pope's forces, leading to the capture and destruction of Union supplies at Manassas Junction. Jackson then held a strong defensive position while Lee and Longstreet struck Pope's exposed flank, forcing a Union retreat and giving the Confederates a major victory. After that, the focus shifts to Lee's decision to invade Maryland, and how a lost order led to tragedy at Antietam, setting up the next year's great victory at Chancellorsville, and the World WarI-like butchery at Fredericksburg Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Lee and Jackson United: The Great Partnership Begins 5:57 Seven Days Setback 9:21 Lee Regroups and Attacks Northward as Pope Threatens Virginia 15:42 Lee's Great Gamble, Jackson's Flank March 24:28 Lee, Jackson, and Longstreet at Second Manassas 33:41 Why Lee Invaded Maryland, and Why It Went Wrong 45:48 Antietam: America's Bloody Day Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Armes, Ethel, Stratford Hall: The Great House of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4wxAAfl Burt, Nathaniel, First Families: The Making of an American Aristocracy, https://amzn.to/4r0KLYG Cole, Ryan, Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero, https://amzn.to/4wiZOy3 Connelly, Thomas L., The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Idea, https://amzn.to/4ywRf4j Crocker, H. W., III, Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Management, https://amzn.to/4gvXpds Dabney, Virginius, Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/46gVW69 Dowdey, Clifford, Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46lDf14 Fleming, Thomas, A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War, https://amzn.to/4yzbiix Flood, Charles Bracelen, Lee: The Last Years, https://amzn.to/4gDcA4I Freeman, Douglas Southall, R. E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4gkaqrx Hendrick, Burton J., The Lees of Virginia, https://amzn.to/4xshjNe Lee, Cazenove Gardner, Jr., Lee Chronicle: Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees, https://amzn.to/4q7GiTI Longacre, Edward G., Fitz Lee: A Military Biography of Major General Fitzhugh Lee, https://amzn.to/4xkLNAu Nagel, Paul C., The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, https://amzn.to/4wUxkfi Nichols, James L., General Fitzhugh Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/4qeURoz Royster, Charles, Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, https://amzn.to/3TKWspX Sanborn, Margaret, Robert E. Lee: A Portrait, https://amzn.to/3SA6EkN Thomas, Emory M., Robert E. Lee: A Biography, https://amzn.to/46qVL8c

In the late 19th century, the British landed elite still seemed secure. A small group of aristocratic and gentry families owned the supermajority of the land, much of the best urban property, and many mineral rights, while also holding political office and shaping society through cultural dominance, business investments, and social prestige. Their wealth supported a life of leisure used to fulfill the duty to govern, not for private indulgence in indolence. That system began to break down with the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 and the agricultural depression of the 1870s as cheap grain from the United States, carried by rail and steamship, drove down British agricultural prices and rents. At the same time, the Third Reform Act expanded the electorate and weakened the old rural political structure. As incomes fell, many landowners were burdened by debt, mortgages, and family settlements. Some sold land, houses, art, and other assets; others tried to shift into business, finance, or colonial ventures. The People's Budget and the Parliament Act then increased taxes and reduced the power of the House of Lords, making the old order even less secure. World War I accelerated the decline. Many aristocrats served and died in unusually high numbers, and wartime requisitioning damaged or destroyed country houses. After the war, the class remained visible in local life, but it lost national political influence and much of its confidence. After describing the decline of the class, I articulate what lessons we should draw from its demise. Check out our sponsor, the Classical Society, here, and tell them that Will sent you: https://theclassicalsociety.com/ Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy, https://link.amazon/B08at3udq Aspects of Aristocracy, https://link.amazon/B0hs1ny41 The Gentry, https://link.amazon/B004Qxd5v Aristocrats, https://link.amazon/B0bhdsxet The Iron Duke, https://link.amazon/B0bWhIY77 American Colossus, https://link.amazon/B01aFOKhP English Landed Society in the Nineteenth Century, https://link.amazon/B0c6eSxVo European Landed Elites in the 19th Century, https://link.amazon/B0eQ9UGUY The Conservative Mind, https://link.amazon/B0bDdEBuS The Serpent and the Stag, https://link.amazon/B03VrFQ8J