Mary Custis Lee left a melodramatic account of the great moral dilemma of her husband’s life, his decision in April 1861 to renounce his commission in the United States Army and accept command of the troops of his seceding state of Virginia. Weeping “tears of blood,” falling to his knees to beg divine guidance, he wrestled with his conscience, pacing the floor all night, torn between loyalty to the Union and loyalty to his native state.
