Military Leadership of Robert E Lee - Essay Example

Running Head: ROBERT E. LEE Robert E. Lee s Robert E. Lee Introduction In this essay I shall attempt to discuss how Robert Edward Lee was the best example that one could give of military leadership. For this purpose I will take the make use of the actions and decisions that he took in the battle of Antietam. First I shall discuss how this great general came into the military and how his leadership developed as time went by. I shall discuss this first so that a clear background can be given of this great military leader. After this in the next section which is the essence of this essay I shall discuss his military leadership with regard to the battle of Antietam. Discussion Road to Becoming a Great Military Leader Robert Edward Lee was one of the most beloved generals of the Civil War and possibly of all American history. To the men he led he was a hero, and even after his death he was still loved by all his former troops. He was a man who put everybody above himself. Robert E. Lee was born in Stratford, Virginia; the date was January 19, 1807. His father, Henry Lee, was well recognized with Washingtons army as Lighthorse Harry as well as it was a fame that rested not just on his cavalry exploits but upon his wonderful strategic and tactical ability. An important portion of his fame was attributed to him for beating off surprising British assault at Spread Eagle Tavern in January, 1778. On the evening of September 28, 1870, Lee became ill and was unable to speak coherently. He had suffered from a stroke that damaged the frontal lobes of the brain, which made speech impossible. Two weeks after lee got the stroke he took his breath on October 12, 1870. He was buried under the Lee Chapel which is located in Washington. Robert enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy in 1825 he wanted a successful career in the military. He in a class of 46 of cadets he ranked second. Immediately after graduation, at the age of 21 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Engineering Corps. On the occurrence of the Mexican War, in the year 1846, Lee was appointed to General Winfield Scotts private staff (William & Robert 1992) He went a head to Brazos on the sixteenth of January, 1847. The General was deep in planning for the combat at Vera Cruz. This was going to be Lees first experience under real fire. Due to his brilliant leadership and expertise in strategy, he won the honor of General Scott. Scott called Lee the best military mastermind in America, and the greatest soldier he ever laid eyes on in the field. Lee was there to see the admit defeat to the Mexicans on the 29th of March. He survived a lot of encounters by the enemy in the war with Mexico. He came back to Washington on June 29, 1848, having been gone for one year and ten whole months.  In the start of the War among the States, Lee found himself facing the most complicated decision of his life. He believed in the elimination of slavery, but not by means of force. He believed in a unified nation, but not one that might be maintained just by means of swords and bayonets. When President Lincoln asked him to take control of the Federal troops in the battle field, Lee said that he can not take part in an attack of his national state (Jefferson 1983). He presented his resignation and in a small number of days, he was commissioned to General in the Confederate Army. He was given the job of a military consultant to Jefferson Davis, as Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia as well as General-in-chief of each and every Confederate Army. The history of Lees manner in the Confederate campaign is a tale of a brave struggle in opposition to overpowering odds. Military Leadership and Robert Lee In the last century, the scale of war has made it necessary to come up with a special type of leader. We no longer battle for our farms, villages, as well as hunting lands. Our interests have changed from straits as well as mountain passes. In our present world, as an outcome of technological revolutions and always growing political instability, we live in the danger of a global war. Actions have the possibility to resonate in a lot of continents after influencing the economies, policies, and war strategies of nations all-round the world. For these reasons, leaders must study the past and integrate historys lessons learned with the new challenges of leading within a heightened threat. Military leaders must maintain their grasp and focus on the technical mastery of war fighting, personal courage, and the ability to inspire men to fight for a common cause. Victory will lend itself to the commander who can master the terrain and find new or creative ways to employ his weapons and men. Military Leaders must be technically proficient with the arms they use to wage war in other words he is courageous. Robert lee in the battle of Antietam Lee found out that McClellan had found the orders and that they were marching toward Boonsboro. Lee sent out orders to Jackson and McLaws to hurry up at Harpers Ferry, and to have a full scale defense at Turners Gap. At 9 a.m. on September 14, Stuart, Longstreet, and Cox converged at South Mountain. Soon, it became hand-to-hand combat. The Federals won and took prisoners. They continued toward Turners Gap on National Road. At Turners Gap Hill saw McClellans never ending rows of men coming, so Hill started firing the cannon non-stop to distract Coxs troops until the troops from Boonsboro arrived. General Hood arrived with reinforcements. The war raged, but by night time ammunition was low and some federals were told to lie down behind a fence. The Confederates thought the Federals were retreating but were then blown back by the hidden Federals (Al Kaltman 2003). Meanwhile, Franklin had broken through the seized Harpers Ferry. The Federals were outnumbered by the Confederates. Lee withdrew from Turners Gap and Harpers Ferry. That night some Federals found some Confederate supply wagons on a road and attacked them. The Federals won and gained forty full supply wagons. Lee told everyone to go to Sharpsburg. Monday September 15, the Confederates followed Antietam Creek and approached Sharpsburg. Lee chose the land around the creek for the battle because one side had great hiding places and one side was a field. Lee positioned his men in hiding places and waited. Four p.m. on Tuesday a group of federals accepted Hoods concealed troops, fire erupted and all the federals immediately died. That night Lee had 40,000 troops and McClellan had 70,000 troops. It rained that night and an early morning fog set in. At five thirty a.m. the confederates began firing. For hours and hours the lines on both sides of the creek moved backwards and sometimes forwards. At 6:45 a.m. it had turned in to a hand to hand combat in a neighboring field of corn. In fifteen minutes at that cornfield, half the brigade had died. The battle was for control of the cornfield. Along with proficiency in their trade, leaders must also embody personal courage and the strength of moral character. This becomes a rallying point and allows for undaunted trust in the upper leadership. Moral integrity is just as crucial to victory as the weapon the soldier wields. Subordinates must know the fiber of a leaders character and the values by which he makes his decisions. Military leaders must share the hazards of battle and demonstrate an inexhaustible determination to do everything necessary to save his mens lives. There is no substitute for character; it is the foundation on which unit cohesion and success rely (Tom 1999). Nearly a century later, the moral courage and personal character of its commanding general held together an undersupplied, undermanned, yet confident Confederate army. In the battle of the Antietam Lee demonstrated his dedication to his men and willingness to sacrifice himself over his command. Near the beginning of the assault Lees lines began to give way forcing him into a moral dilemma that affected the overall course of the war. In this moment these leadership traits are essential and more over these traits are the foundation of successful military leadership. They continue to be a leadership challenge for all men who fight in military as well as take place at all levels in the military force. Those who master and arm themselves by means of these concepts are positioned to be successful whereas those who pay no attention to them are meant to be unsuccessful. Nearly all successful leaders have tried to lessen the effect of this isolating phenomenon by means of visiting their troops in the field as frequently as possible. Robert E. Lee was able to keep an extraordinary relationship with his troops even whilst he was an operational commander. A good military lead by no means gives up hope he is always prepared to fight that is what Lee I believed under the conditions General Lee did the best he possibly could. Military leadership is a quality that requires self discipline in thought as well as in battle. On the field, General Lee led a lot of his troops through ferocious battles and at home his political career, got the admiration and appreciation of his supporters. In a lot of articles he is well-known as a gentleman in all sense of the word. Through the years Lee gained respect form everybody, from his commanding officers all the way down to the new recruits. This was one of the very first signs indicating that Lee would definitely turn out be a great leader. There are a lot of things that make up a great leader. Showing great power is a very important factor. If you show immense power over the group you are leading they will definitely either respect you or fear you, in Lees case they respected him. He worked along with his soldiers toward a common goal and he wanted exactly what they wanted. In the civil war Lee fought with full commitment for his home as well as his family. Those were the similar reasons his men fought in the Civil War, they fought to defend their families too. Lee "formulated a national strategy predicated on the likelihood of victory in Virginia and the importance of battlefield victories. He is and will always be a renowned figure of American military leadership (H. W. Crocker 1999). Lee was definitely a military leader as he fought for the Accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of the soldiers. Lee replaced his personal drive for victory with the sobering realization of defeat. Understanding the futility of further efforts against his enemy, Lee sent a flag of truce to his counterpart, despite the war cries and urging of his men to return to battle. He sacrificed personal pride and commitment to victory for his duty and loyalty to his men. General Lees character and obligation to do the right thing tied together and motivated the armies of the south and his soldiers understood that Lee acted for the benefit of the Confederacy and not for personal gain. Just Like any military leader Lee was extremely committed. This commitment showed itself on Wednesday, September 3, 1862, four days following General Robert E. Lees Confederate success at the second Battle of Bull Run. Lee sent a letter to southern president Jefferson Davis. In this letter Lee expressed his purpose to take the war onto the enemy‘s soil for the first time in the Eastern Theater. Lee hoped that a great confederate victory would encourage England and France to help the south win the war and he hoped that invading the north would make the Federals ask for peace. Lee wrote this letter from headquarters at Chantilly, Virginia where his troops were resting. Chantilly is less than 25 miles from Washington. Lee was tempted to strike directly at Washington, but even a daring general knew such an attack would be foredoomed. Lee considered two other courses of action, withdrawal to the south behind Rappahannock River and rest, or remains in Virginia and attack. By invading Maryland, Lee could reach immediate military objectives. He could harass the enemy on their own turf and his troops would have plenty of food. In addition, many Marylanders were pro-confederate so Lee hoped to capitalize on growing opposition of war in the North. On the morning of Wednesday September 3, 1862, General Lee broke camp and directed his columns toward the shallow fords of the Potomac River, just above Leesburg, Virginia. It was 25 miles north of Chantilly. Lee chose this spot because it was just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and 30 miles upriver from Washington. The Federals then would surely respond by massing their forces on the north side of the Potomac River, they would think that Lees movements were a direct threat to Baltimore and/or Washington. This would serve to take away enemy force from Lees supply line through Manassas Junction and give left behind confederate troops time to collect arms and care for wounded on the battlefields around Bull Run. Lee was a good and quick decision maker which was another reason why he was a well known military leader. A good example of his quick decision making is when Lee moved without approval from President Davis, but he was sure his Commander in Chief would approve the invasion. Lees army was a "rag-tag" army, they were gaunt, unshaved, and had torn uniforms. One-fourth of his army was barefoot and they were all starving. 15,000 men from Lees army dropped out on the march to the Potomac River; however, three new infantry divisions joined, for a total of 50,000 men (Wood 1995). To complicate matters, Lee grabbed for the bridle of his horse and fell. Both his hands were splinted, one broken, and one badly sprained. Lee had to ride the rest of the way in an ambulance. Lee had what one could call Esprit de Corps in him; this trait is a very important trait for military leadership. He had Pride and enthusiasm for unit; he was always loyal to his unit. He also had decisiveness in him who made a good military leader, this could be seen when. The Federals were trying to get on the bridge that the Confederates occupied. The Confederates retreated, but just as a distraction for Jacksons attack which had to be called off. Instead Lee set up cannons, but the Federals pushed through and marched to Sharpsburg. Just outside Sharpsburg they ran into hidden Confederates at Cemetery Hill. The Confederates were blown away. Just then Hills troops arrived from Turners Gap and they snuck around the back of the Federals. The Confederates blew the Federals all the way back to Antietam Creek. Both sides sent in all of their reinforcements and the battle became a face off. At the end of the night both exhausted sides stopped firing and rested. The Battle of Antietam had come to an end. That night Lee and his men slipped back across the Potomac into friendly territory. Conclusion Robert E. Lee was beyond doubt a man of integrity and was living attestation that you can by no means keep a good man down when he takes pride in what he does. While Lee was dealing with General Jacksons death he got his men together and continued to go forward towards North. He never gave up hope, and until the war came to an end he had given all the help he could to protect the Confederacy. Robert Edward Lee proved that he really is one of the greatest military leaders in U.S. history. References Al Kaltman 2003; Genius of Robert E Lee, Prentice Hall Press (TR); Reissue edition H. W. Crocker III 1999; Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Character, Courage, and Vision. Prima Lifestyles publishers. Jefferson Davis 1983; Robert E. Lee, Hill College Pr publishers Tom Wheeler 1999; Leadership Lessons from the Civil War: Winning Strategies for Todays Managers, Currency publishers 1st edition W.J. Wood 1995; Leaders and Battles: The Art of Military Leadership, Presidio Press William E. Rosenbach, Robert L. Taylor 1992; Military Leadership: In Pursuit of Excellence Westview Press Inc; 2Rev Ed edition Read More