202 years ago today, one of the most virtuous, courageous men in the history of the United States was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He is certainly one of my heroes, and his example of Christian character stands out far more brightly even than his military genius, which rivalled that of Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. After he surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia, General Lee encouraged his former soldiers to live patiently and peacefully during the following Reconstruction years. Lee was offered many lucrative offers for employment, but he turned them down to become President of Washington College. He felt that this position would allow him to help in the reconciliation of the United States and the former Confederacy, both through his own example, and in the education of Southerners. He contributed greatly to the future of the college and its students until his death five years later, in 1870. After his death, the college was renamed Washington and Lee University, an honor of which Lee would never have felt himself worthy, although it was fitting to link the names of the two most virtuous, noble men in the history of America- both of whom led a War for Independence.
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