Is Robert E. Lee Making a Comeback?

Lee Barracks, named for Civil War General Robert E. Lee, is shown at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, July 13, 2020, in West Point, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

America is coming to its senses.

After a tumultuous period of temporary insanity following George Floyd’s death in 2020, when hundreds of statues and memorials were removed—often by violent mobs—passion is giving way to reason. Things are (thankfully) getting back to normal.

The latest sign of America’s restoration is the return of the 20’ portrait of Robert E. Lee to the library at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The painting of Lee in his Confederate uniform had been removed as part of the Orwellian “Naming Commission” that purged the military of any memorials to former Confederates.

Announcing the return of Lee’s portrait, an Army spokesperson said, “At West Point, the United States Military Academy is prepared to restore historical names, artifacts, and assets to their original form and place. Under this administration, we honor our history and learn from it — we don’t erase it.”

The damage done by cancel culture in the post-George Floyd frenzy was unprecedented. Reminiscent of the French Jacobins, Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolutionaries, or the Afghani Taliban, woke radicals gave no quarter to Southerners who chose to defend their homeland in the Civil War. Historical figures like Lee were universally and unfairly demonized, then systematically eliminated.

Taking a Servpro approach to history, “like it never even happened,” fanatical leftists deprived students of the opportunity to learn from history and to engage in constructive dialogue about our past, warts and all.

W&L was no exception to the trend of historical intolerance. Since the University’s regretful decisions to rename Lee Chapel and to remove Lee’s portrait from the Chapel (along with other plaques on campus), W&L students are no longer learning essential aspects of Lee’s remarkable life and the pivotal role he played in saving the school and shaping its culture.

Preserving Lee’s legacy is central to the mission of The Generals Redoubt. We are committed to teaching students about the roles of Lee, George Washington, and other key figures in W&L’s past. And we are encouraged to see Lee making a promising resurgence around the country.

In addition to his portrait at West Point, Lee’s name has been restored to schools in Shenandoah County, Virginia, and Midland, Texas. A monument to Lee in Charleston, South Carolina, is being re-erected. Military bases formerly named after Confederates (including Lee) have had their original names resurrected. And the Reconciliation Monument at Arlington Cemetery will soon be put back in place.

The Board of Trustees at W&L should take note. The intentional distancing from Lee—particularly the whitewashing of Lee Chapel—was an overreaction to the emotions of a troubled time in our country. That time has now passed, and those decisions on the campus of W&L must now be reconsidered.

Passions fade, but truth endures. As W&L plans again to change Lee Chapel and to build a new museum of institutional history, we urge its leaders to embrace our past by appropriately honoring Lee and truthfully telling his story. Of all the places in the world where Lee should be honored, his final resting place in Lee Chapel should be at the top of the list.

Nothing would unite our alumni community more than the restoration of Lee Chapel to its status quo ante. Thousands of alumni who were deeply disappointed by W&L’s abandonment of Lee would return to the fold and support their alma mater with renewed enthusiasm.

We at The Generals Redoubt have had our differences with the University in recent years, and our criticism at times has been pointed. In the spirit of reconciliation that Lee demonstrated in the aftermath of the Civil War, though, we stand ready to partner with the Board of Trustees to restore our traditions and to inspire future generations of W&L students with the examples of George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

Respectfully,

Gib Kerr,  ‘85
The Generals Redoubt