Robert E. Lee's older brother Smith Lee.

[major bill]

We hear so much about the various Lee family members during the Civil War, but not so much of Sydney Smith Lee who served in the CSA Navy. Should Smith Lee also be considered a Confederate hero?

 

[WJC]

As I recall, he seems to have had second thoughts about his choice to resign his USN commission and serve in the rebel forces. In that, he probably wasn't alone. Even with that, he still seems to fit the definition most would use for "Confederate hero".

 

[Southern Volunteer]

I get some people use the term hero very liberally when it comes to wars, even to the extent of saying that anyone who served in any given conflict is a hero. If you're on of those people, sure. But I think hero needs to only be applied to the truly distinguished. And I wouldn't say that Smith Lee is truly distinguished. On an interesting note his Wikipedia page says he was Commandant at the Naval Academy and resigned upon secession. Interesting that one brother ran West Point and the other Annapolis.