Thanks for posting that.
What an enigmatic character Lee was.
The ‘school-book’ story I learned was that he jumped right in with the confederates when they rebelled, but I’ve come to learn that it was much more complex than that.
And why shouldn’t it be? He served loyally and with distinction in the US Army for twenty five years. When Texas seceded and the traitorous twiggs surrendered his men to the Texans (including Lee), instead of joining the rebs, Lee returned to Washington where he was made a first a Colonel by Lincoln then offered promotion to Major General.
If must have been a frenzied period for Lee as he was also offered a command by the confederates. I can see the internal conflict Lee struggled with as he wrote that letter. He wanted no part of the rebellion, but he was honor-bound to protect his home of Virginia.
His famous words, “I shall never bear arms against the Union, but it may be necessary for me to carry a musket in the defense of my native state, Virginia, in which case I shall not prove recreant to my duty.” proved less than accurate as he soon enough demonstrated his talents against the country he swore to defend.