He struggled mightily to make a decision, but in the end, Robert E. Lee couldn’t turn his back on the country he had served for decades. He sold his Virginia property, moved his family north, and accepted Lincoln’s offer to serve as the commander of the Union armies.
With its vast advantage in resources and Lee’s highly competent leadership, the Union quickly prevailed in the Civil War. Richmond fell early in 1861, and the Confederate government collapsed. Lincoln offered generous terms to the seceding states; emancipation was not even discussed in this process. The status quo had been essentially restored by the end of 1861. But had the slavery issue really disappeared?
Not at all. The real reckoning was still ahead. Lee’s decision had only postponed it.