People do not always act in their own interests. The South spent more in loss of lives than keeping slavery was worth in economic terms. The North spent more fighting the South than it would have cost to pay for the slave owners for their property. "People by large are guided by leaders. When their leaders march off into a folly, the people often follow" (Alexander 318).

The smartest thing Lee ever did was surrender at Appomattox and put an end to the fighting. Before Lee surrendered, he was confronted by

If Robert. E. Lee wanted to continue fighting the civil war, he could have with much support. Lee was loved deeply by his soldiers, and they would have fought with him to the very end. "That Lee was beloved by his army it is hardly necessary to say, immensely beloved, beloved as few generals have ever been" (Bradford 82). Lee's army trusted him and his decisions. They followed his orders and would have followed the order to stay and fight.

Porter Alexander and offered the idea of guerrilla warfare. Lee forcefully and finally rejected the idea of this. He saved countless lives of his soldiers by rejecting this idea. Lee made this statement in the hours before the surrender, "It is our duty to live, for what will become of the women and children of the South if we are not here to support and protect them" (Bradford 111).

Lee did not win the Civil War for the South. He made it possible, though

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Approximate Word count = 611
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)