0 takeofficial leave and hurry home. Upon his arrival he was shocked = by the=20 stateof his wife's health. As she herself had written to a friend, = "I=20 almostdread his seeing my crippled state"(Kelly 39). Lee was able to = extend=20 hisleave indefinitely. He became, in essence, a farmer. He was = still able=20 tosome duties in the army. These usually involved dull service = such as a=20 seaton a court-martial. However, there was one such duty that = proved to be=20 muchmore important. In October of 1859 he was sent to quell John = Brown's=20 bloodyraid at Harpers Ferry (Grimsley). In the nations capital, = setting=20 justbelow Arlington, there were heated debates over states' rights = union=20 versesdisunion, and slavery. All the salons of Congress and in the = salons=20 andsaloons of the politically charged capital city, there was = debate=20 (Kelly 40). After three years at home, Lee finally had to return to full = time=20 Armyduty. He was posted in Texas. While Lee was in Texas the = controversy=20 overstates' rights grew worse. On January 21, 1861 five Southern = Senate=20 membersannounced before a packed audience in the Senate galleries that = theirrespective states had seceded. With that, each gathered their = things=20 anddeparted. Soon Texas seceded too, and Lee was ordered home to=20 Washington,to report to the Army's ranking officer, General Winfield = Scott.=20 Leearrived at Arlington on March 1st. He now faced a very = momentous=20 personaldecision. After the firing on of Fort Sumpter, the first shots = of the=20 CivilWar, Lee was offered command of the Federal Army by Abraham = Lincoln.=20 Leewas offered command of an army that was charged with the duty = of=20 invadingthe South. A south that included Virginia, a Virginia that Lee = truly=20 loved.On the morning of April 19th, Lee returned from nearby = Alexandria with=20 newsthat Virginia to had seceded. The Lees had their supper = together. Lee=20 thenwent, alone, to...
