Born to Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee in Stratford Hall, Virginia, Robert Edward Lee seemed destined for military greatness.
Birthday of Robert E. Lee is a holiday, observed each year on January 19, Leeís actual birth date. Because he was a Confederate general, it is mainly celebrated in the Southern United States, particularly Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. Because of its time of year, it is sometimes associated with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In Florida and Tennessee, it is celebrated on January 19. In Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi it is celebrated on or around January 19. In Georgia, it is celebrated on the 4th Friday of November.
Historical note: Because of Robert E. Lee reputation as one of the finest officers in the United States Army, Abraham Lincoln offered Lee the command of the Federal forces in April 1861. Lee declined and tendered his resignation from the army when the state of Virginia seceded on April 17, arguing that he could not fight against his own people. Instead, he accepted a generalís commission in the newly formed Confederate Army. His first military engagement of the Civil War occurred at Cheat Mountain, Virginia (now West Virginia) on September 11, 1861. It was a Union victory but Leeís reputation withstood the public criticism that followed. He served as military advisor to President Jefferson Davis until June 1862 when he was given command of the wounded General Joseph E. Johnstonís embattled army on the Virginia peninsula...
Source: alabama.gov | fl.us | arkansas.gov | ms.gov