Born on January 19, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia, Robert E. Lee came to military prominence during the U.S. Civil War, commanding his home state's armed forces and becoming general-in-chief of the Confederate forces towards the end of the conflict. Though the Union won the war, Lee has been revered by many while others debate his tactics. He went on to become president of Washington College.
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis was born in Christian County, Kentucky, on June 3, 1808. After a distinguished military career, Davis served as a U.S. senator and as Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce before his election as the president of the secessionist Confederate States of America. He was later indicted for treason, though never tried, and remained a symbol of Southern pride until his death in 1889.
William T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman's early military career was a near disaster, having to be temporarily relieved of command. He returned at the Battle of Shiloh to victory and then gathered 100,000 troops destroying Atlanta and devastating Georgia in his March to the Sea. Often credited with the saying, "war is hell," he was a major architect of modern total war.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was born April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. During the Civil War, he relentlessly pursued the enemy and in 1864 was entrusted with command of all U.S. armies. In 1869, at age 46, he became the youngest president theretofore. Though Grant was highly scrupulous, his administration was tainted with scandal. He left the presidency to write his best-selling memoirs.