Lee How Sick Was Lee ?

[kevikens]

I understand that Robert E. Lee is one of the most interesting characters in Civil War History. And part of that fascination is why he was unable, talented as he was, to win the war for the South. From time to time I have read authors allude to Lee's health, often when in critical moments, creating problems for the commander in carrying out his command role. Certainly I can imagine gut churning dysentery making it hard for me to do anything away from a privy.

I don't know if anyone has made a study of this but just exactly how sick was Lee, especially late in the war? Was he suffering from the first symptoms of heart disease? Did he suffer from malaria? Dysentery? Intestinal parasites? Hookworm? Pellagra? He certainly looks healthy enough in photos taken circa 1860, but by 1865 he looks like FDR at Yalta. And were there any decisions he made that adversely affected the Army of Northern Virginia that can be traced to his being too ill to make the right calls? It's fascinating to think that what caused the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg may have been little more than amoeba.

 

[diane]

Lee's health is always an elusive topic. Myself, I think he was sick most of his adult life but appeared to be healthy. He seems to have picked up malaria while engineering in Maryland - some strains of that stay around for the rest of your life and cause problems from time to time, and also affect the heart. But there was a genetic tendency to heart disease in his family. A rosy complexion was considered a sign of health at that time but in Lee's case it may have meant high blood pressure or other related issues. He also picked up something unknown in Mexico during that war, really overworked himself to the point of real exhaustion, and then got shot. It's probable, in fact, that health difficulties that clearly plagued him during the CW may have had a kick start in the Mexican War.

Very often chronically ill people learn to work around their difficulties and accomplish remarkable things despite heavy handicaps. They also learn their limitations. Many healthy people, never sick a day in their lives, get sick and continue to push through - and die! Chronically ill people get sick and know they have to modify their activities for a while - and they survive. I think Lee was like this.

One thing, too, was Lee's age at the time of the war. In that day, mid-fifties was old age. Often Lee would exclaim in frustration, "I am too old!" and sometimes thought the job should be given to someone younger while he took command of a rocking chair on his front porch. Grant said he thought one of the reasons he beat Lee was because he was younger.

 

[Elennsar]

I know Lee was of uncertain health during the Overland Campaign, but I think he was - allowing for what diane said - in reasonable health in the Gettysburg campaign. Some (heart?) trouble in the spring, but no sign of being "tie him to a bed, fetch a half dozen pretty nurses" bad in July that I can remember reading off the top of my head. Certainly nothing I can point to and say "this influenced his decisions/ability to function".

 

[Blessmag]

He also could have picked up a disease when he was engineering around St. Louis and the Mississippi river.

 

[cash]

Lee's health was a decisive factor at the North Anna River. He had laid a clever trap for the Federals and they had fallen into it, but he was too sick to do anything about it. Grant recognized what was going on and backed out of the situation, but had Lee been well it could have meant disaster for the Union.