Whatever his qualities or defects as a military commander, Robert E. Lee became a national hero after his surrender at Appomattox, and his loyal support for the Union after the defeat of the Confederacy is reflected in a letter to a former captain in the Confederate navy in which he wrote that 'the allayment of passion, the dissipation of prejudice and the restoration of reason will alone enable the people of the country to acquire a true knowledge and form a correct judgment of the events of the past four years.' -- From the introduction.

Introduction -- A gentleman from Virginia -- A house divided -- Seven days around Richmond -- Maryland, My Maryland -- Duel on the Rappahannock -- The turn of the tide -- Long road to Appomattox -- Birth of a legend