Summary
Robert E. Lee was born in Stratford, Virginia on January 19, 1807. His father, Henry Lee, had achieved fame with Washington's army as 'Lighthorse Harry.'
Lee's mother was Ann Carter Lee, daughter of Charles Carter. She left Henry when Robert was only four years old, and Lee assumed the responsibility of the household
at a very early age. Lee's struggle to maintain the household without the presence of a father, and with little money, taught him valuable lessons in self-discipline, lessons which supported him well in his military career.
Robert entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1825 to pursue a career in the military. He was the second to graduate in a class of 46. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Engineering Corps.
In 1831, he married Mary Custus, Martha Washington's great-grandaughter.
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