York Civil War Round Table: April 16 - The Personal Side of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee remains one of the most revered figures in U.S. history, particularly in the South where his birthday remains a holiday in certain places. While Lee never set foot in York, some of his subordinate officers later claimed he planned to fight the decisive battle of the summer campaign here, concentrating his army in and around York. Indeed, he was on his way to York when plans changed late on June 28, 1863, and he instead assembled his forces to the west to meet an unexpected Union threat.
Complete and up-to-date schedule for the meetings of the York Civil War Round Table
Old Granny. The King of Spades. Bobby Lee. Marse Robert. The succession of Robert E. Lee's nicknames traces his progression in the Civil War from a relatively old former U.S. Cavalry officer to the man in charge of digging earthworks to protect such out-of-the-way places as Honey Hill, South Carolina, then to the beloved leader of the Army of Northern Virginia, and finally to one of the most legendary figures in American military history. Shrouded in myth and legend, viewed by many through rose-colored glasses, and idolized by scores of followers who waged a campaign during Reconstruction to cement his place in history, Robert E. Lee has come down to today's generation as a symbol of the Confederacy and the "Lost Cause."
Come to the York County Heritage Trust this Wednesday evening, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. to hear a long-time scholar of the Lee family, Ken Miller, present a talk on "The Personal Side of Robert E. Lee." Admission is free, as is parking. YCHT is at 250 E. Market Street in York, just a few blocks east of Centre Square. This is one of a continuing series of talks presented by the York CWRT in cooperation with YCHT.
Volumes and volumes of books have been solely written about Robert Edward Lee, the General, since our country divided and waged war against each other, North vs. South, 145 years ago. Yet Robert E Lee, the person, was chronicled as an individual with uncommon habits, a vastly mature demeanor, and very handsome persona well before the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in April of 1861. Kenneth Miller’s The Personal Side of Robert E Lee will focus on the man himself, and provide an in-depth view of Lee’s life before, during and after the battles. The talk will also chronicle the members of Lee’s family; from his parents, to his wife, Mary Custis, and their seven children, who all led remarkable & intriguing lives oftentimes overlooked due to everyone’s memory of their father.
Kenneth Miller resides in northern New Jersey with his wife & two young children and is employed in Sales by the Glatfelter Paper Co. Mr Miller has spent the past 12 years researching the lives of Robert E Lee, his wife, Mary Custis, and their seven children, and intends to author a book on Lee’s 2nd oldest son, General WHF “Rooney” Lee. Miller’s scholarship on the seven Lee kids has allowed him to become a paid speaker for the National Park Service at Arlington House – the Lee family home in northern Virginia. Ken is a frequent speaker on the Lee children to the Stuart-Mosby Society, Brandy Station Foundation, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the King William, VA and New Kent County, VA Historical Societies, and various Civil War Roundtable groups in IL, NJ, PA and MD. Miller is also Commander for General JEB Stuart’s Staff & Escort, a 27 year-old living history unit largely based in central PA who speak at reenactments on the lives of JEB Stuart and several of his staff officers during the war.
