[Atlantic Friend]

Nice quote. It reminds me of what Napoleon said about battles won : there is nothing worse, except, of course, battles lost.

I'm not versed in the American Civil War, and I wondered what happened to Lee afterward ?

[Lucky Dog]

Lee was not tried as a war criminal/traitor, although there were some on the winning side who pushed for it. His civil rights (voting, the right to hold office, but not legal protections) were suspended. He became president of Washington University from after the Civil War until his death. That university was later renamed as Washington and Lee. His citizenship was fully restored posthumously by President Ford nearly a century after his death.

There are many who maintain that Lee was the most able general at strategic force deployment in the entire conflict. These people maintain that U.S. Grant's war of attrition strategy succeeded not out of military brilliance but sheer material strength. Of course, Grant must be credited with recognition of Lee's unalterable strategic weakness. Grant must also be credited with his willingness to accept the terrible price of attacking that weakness.