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Robert E. Lee was a one of the greatest military leaders and strategists of his time. As one of the finest officers of the U.S.A., Lee was offered a position on the Union Army by Abraham Lincoln but declined reasoning he could not fight against his own people. Instead, he commanded the newly formed Confederate Army during the Civil War. He led his army attacking and invading the north in hope of winning the war. After the dual defeat at Gettysburg and Antietam, he was forced to retreat for the remainder of the war. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.