Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807- April 12, 1880) was a Confederate general and the 3rd President of the Confederate States of America. Elevated to the status of a national hero, after leading the Confederates to victory during the War of Secession, was not a role that Lee immediately embraced; soon after the war he resigned from the military and returned to his Virginia plantation; however, frustrated with the direction the newly formed country was moving in, Lee decided to use his influence as a national hero for the betterment of the country, leading to the formation of the Whig Party in 1869. In 1872 after some prodding from family, friends, and fellow Whigs, Lee announced his candidacy for presidency. In 1873, the aging Lee found himself in a hard fought presidential contest with D