On 23 April 1861, following Virginia’s secession from the Union, Robert E Lee was appointed commander of the state’s military forces by Governor John Letcher.
Lee, a respected officer in the United States Army, had resigned his commission just days earlier after declining President Lincoln’s offer to lead the Union army, citing loyalty to his home state.
His appointment marked the beginning of a central role in the Confederacy’s military leadership during the American Civil War.
