Lee Did General Lee Have a "Temper" ?

dlofting

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This is a piece extracted from "Four Years With General Lee" by Walter H. Taylor. Although the setting isn't that important it was just after the ANV had returned to Virginia following the battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam.

"He (Lee) had a great dislike to reviewing army communications: this was so thoroughly appreciated by me (Taylor) that I would never present a paper for his action, unless it was of decided importance, and of a nature to demand his judgment and decision. On one occasion when an audience had not been asked of him for several days, it became necessary to have one. The few papers requiring his action were submitted. He was not in a very pleasant mood; something irritated him, and he manifested his ill-humor by a little nervous twist or jerk of the neck and head, peculiar to himself, accompanied by some harshness of manner. This was perceived by me, and I hastily concluded that my efforts to save him annoyance were not appreciated. In disposing of some case of a vexatious character, matters reached a climax; he became really worried, and, forgetting what was due to my superior, I petulantly threw the paper down at my side and gave evident signs of anger. Then, in a perfectly calm and measured tone of voice, he said, "Colonel Taylor, when I lose my temper, don't you let it make you angry.""

I found this interesting in light of the Stuart/Lee scene in "The Killer Angels" and the movie "Gettysburg", where Lee struggles to control himself while speaking to Stuart. Although the scene itself is fictitious (as pointed out in other threads) and has no basis in fact, perhaps Lee's "temper" is not.
 
I have read that Lee did have quite a temper, but that he was iron willed enough to control it for the most part, aside from the few ticks mentioned in the quote, such as the tossing of the head.
 
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Yes, he definitely had dark moods with simmering anger. Those around him often learned to read the signs and when they appeared, these people took care to steer clear. But this were unhinged rages or anything. I suspect they were in such contrast to his normal civility and self-control that their impact was more negative than the behavior actually would suggest. Just my humble opinion.
 
You know, I'm surprised he didn't lose his temper a whole lot more in 1864, with so many trusted generals dead, out of action, ill or in mental breakdown (Ewell). Not to mention the limitations his heart condition put on his own efforts. I would've gone totally ape ---- out of sheer frustration. And having the bulldog Grant to deal with every day didn't help matters any.
 
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I believe I remember reading that Lee exploded at General Pender on the basis that Pender was ignoring or not executing his orders correctly. He also became angry at the Wilderness when McGowan's Brigade was trying to reform, which he interpreted as being routed.
 
Lee was ill for much of the Overland campaign, either from "digestive troubles" or the result of a heart attack. The problem was that Lee was so admired by his men that they craved his approval, and when he exhibited a bit of a temper (as boughts of digestive problems are bound to do) and he lets his temper out on occassion, it has quite an impact on those around him.

At one point, a member of his staff visited him in his tent to discuss army business or have him review some official papers, but after a point he came out walking quickly, obviously distraught. "That man is not fit to command an army!" he said to his fellow staffers (referring to Lee's illness).
 
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