What I Have In Common With Robert E. Lee This Year

I’ve been working on putting together a tour of the battle of Gettysburg for a group of military veterans and realized today that I am now the same age that Robert E. Lee was when he led the Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863.

I don’t mind admitting that this realization is a little disconcerting.

I guess I’ve always thought of Robert E. Lee as much older. Even now, I still want to believe that this is the case. This photograph of Lee was taken in early 1863.

(Source: Encyclopedia Virginia)

Lee looks striking in his uniform, but the prominent white beard gives him a much older appearance.

Than again, I’ve tended to think of most prominent Civil War officers as older, even though I know that this is not at all the case. Here are a few examples.

Perhaps it’s the black and white photographs and the prominent facial hair that makes some of these men appear older. Perhaps it’s just that I can’t imagine taking on the same level of responsibility that these young men assumed during the Civil War.

Lee was not in the best of health in summer of 1863. Though outwardly composed and resolute, Lee was suffering from what modern historians believe to be heart disease, likely angina. He experienced intermittent chest pain, episodes of exhaustion, and moments of visible discomfort. The grueling pace of the campaign and the mental stress of high command only exacerbated his condition. On several occasions, staff officers and aides noted that Lee appeared unusually weary and withdrawn.

Compounding his condition were possible gastrointestinal issues, possibly diarrhea or dysentery, that further sapped his strength during the approach to Gettysburg. Whether from the strain of travel, the heat of early summer, or the limited diet of the campaign trail, Lee’s physical stamina was clearly diminished. He would often ride for long hours, but with noticeably less vigor than in previous campaigns.

Thankfully, I am in good health, though the arthritis in my knees has ended my daily jogs through the park. But even in my relatively good health, I am not sure I would be able to handle the physical and mental challenges that Lee faced during the Gettysburg Campaign at this age.

Now that I think about it, I also don’t know how I am going to handle the fact that from now on I will be studying a man, who was younger than me when he commanded Confederate forces at Gettysburg.