ce such as a seaton a court-martial. However, there was one such duty that proved to be muchmore important. In October of 1859 he was sent to quell John Brown's bloodyraid at Harpers Ferry (Grimsley). In the nations capital, setting justbelow Arlington, there were heated debates over states' rights union versesdisunion, and slavery. All the salons of Congress and in the salons andsaloons of the politically charged capital city, there was debate (Kelly 40). After three years at home, Lee finally had to return to full time Armyduty. He was posted in Texas. While Lee was in Texas the controversy overstates' rights grew worse. On January 21, 1861 five Southern Senate membersannounced before a packed audience in the Senate galleries that theirrespective states had seceded. With that, each gathered their things anddeparted. Soon Texas seceded too, and Lee was ordered home to Washington,to report to the Army's ranking officer, General Winfield Scott. Leearrived at Arlington on March 1st. He now faced a very momentous personaldecision. After the firing on of Fort Sumpter, the first shots of the CivilWar, Lee was offered command of the Federal Army by Abraham Lincoln. Leewas offered command of an army that was charged with the duty of invadingthe South. A south that included Virginia, a Virginia that Lee truly loved.On the morning of April 19th, Lee returned from nearby Alexandria with newsthat Virginia to had seceded. The Lees had their supper together. Lee thenwent, alone, to his upstairs bedroom. Below, Mary listened as he paced thefloor above, then heard a mild thump as he fell to his knees in prayer.Below, she also prayed (Kelly 41). Hours later he showed her two letters he had written. In one he resignedhis commission in the United States Army. In the other, he expressedpersonal thoughts to General Scott. Later, his wife would write: "Myhusband has wept tears of blood over this terrible war, but as a man ofhonor and a Virginian, he must f...
