o get married.The two were married on June 30, 1831(Nash 248). Shortly there after theLees went to Fort Monroe. Mary was never happy here. She soon went back toArlington. Mary hated army life. She would, for the most part, stay atArlington throughout the rest of Robert's time in the United States Army.The fact that he was separated from his family, and that he was slow tomove up in rank, left Lee feeling quite depressed a great deal of the time.Over the next decade Robert became very frustrated by his career and life.Lee's life had become a mosaic of dull post assignments, long absences fromfamily, and slow promotion. Lee began to regard himself as a failure (Nash248). Lee was on the verge of resigning from the army all together, when onMay 13, 1946, word came that the United States had declared war on Mexico. The outbreak of war with Mexico provided Lee his first real chance at fieldservice. In January of 1847 he was selected by General Winfield Scott toserve with other young promising officers. These officers included: P.G.T.Beauregard and George McClellan on his personal staff (Connelly 8). Duringthe Mexican War Lee won the praise and respect of Scott as well as manyother young officers that he would serve with and against later. As the years passed Mary Lee was left at Arlington. She was left to manageher fathers grand estate, plantation really, by herself. Time had taken itstoll on Mary Lee. She had become an ageing woman, crippled with arthritis,and left alone by her career Army officer's duty assignments elsewhere(Kelly 39). At the news of his father-in-laws death, Lee was able to takeofficial leave and hurry home. Upon his arrival he was shocked by the stateof his wife's health. As she herself had written to a friend, "I almostdread his seeing my crippled state"(Kelly 39). Lee was able to extend hisleave indefinitely. He became, in essence, a farmer. He was still able tosome duties in the army. These usually involved dull servi...
