The Myth of the Kindly General Lee.

[Yupster]

28. Are you blaming Lee for starting the Civil War?

He had nothing to do with it. He left the army when his state left the Union as the vast majority of other southern officers did. Hard to be in an army of a foreign power. When he left, there was not an expectation of war. In Davis's inaugural address, which happened before Lincoiln's, he said "All we ask is to be left alone." Lee had absolutely nothing to do with Fort Sumter. In fact when the first states seceded, he was serving in Texas.

On the other hand, Jefferson Davis was part of the Crittenden Committee of senators who stayed until Christmas in Washington working on compromises that could keep the southern states in the Union. The effort failed because President-elect Lincoln wouldn't offer any guidance on what he would accept or not accept. Senator Seward, representing the Republicans on the committee was unable to make any commitments.