The advance of the Gunboats up the river to New Berne, N. Carolina. Passing the Barricade
Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Photograph of General Robert E. Lee
- ca. 1865
Description
Mathew Brady photographed Confederate General Robert Edward Lee, shown here, a few days after Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, Virginia. He is wearing his uniform, but it is stripped of all insignia and honors. After the surrender, Lee returned as a prisoner of war to Richmond and an uncertain future. However, just months after the surrender, he was offered and accepted the position of President of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer.
National Archives Identifier: 525769
Full Citation: Photograph of General Robert E. Lee; ca. 1865; Mathew Brady Photographs of Civil War-Era Personalities and Scenes, 1921 – 1940; Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Record Group 111. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/photograph-of-general-robert-e-lee/, January 22, 2026]
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