This work is neither a life of Lee, nor a history of the Civil War. It is an appreciation of Lee's generalship. When the Civil War began, Lee resigned his commission with the United States Army to command the Virginia forces and was the military advisor to Jefferson Davis. As the commander of the Northern Virginia army, he stopped Federal forces near Richmond, later being defeated at Gettysburg. Finally in 1865 as General in Chief of all Confederate Armies, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House.