Southern hero?
The man took up arms against the Constitution he swore oath to defend and in the process was responsible for the deaths of of some 700,000 Americans.
Yes, he was a Southern hero. And, yes, he was an honorable man who did what he thought was right when in the middle of conflicting loyalties.
Lee did nothing of the sort. He served the Confederacy out of loyalty to the South, but he wasn’t involved in the secession movement.