Robert E. Lee the Operational Commander: A Star on His Own Course

The central theme of this paper is the operational analysis of Lee as the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. It is meant to transcend the mythical military status of Lee and offer lessons learned for the modern military commander at the operational level. The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on bridging the gap between tactical operations and strategic goals; that of the operational art. It will also discuss some of the less glorious aspects of designing the campaign, command and control, reconnaissance and logistics to show how important these are in developing a coherent plan that aids the commander in achieving his objectives.