Robert E. Lee: A Story and a Play

In this charming retelling of a young Virginian’s life, listeners are invited to follow the boy who would become one of America’s most recognizable military figures. Set against the backdrop of a genteel ante‑bellum world, the story paints a picture of a family steeped in tradition, a devoted mother, and a father whose early death forces the child to mature quickly. Through gentle anecdotes of schoolyard scrapes and tender care for his ailing mother, the narrative establishes the quiet resolve that will shape his future.

The tale then moves to his formative years at West Point, where he graduates near the top of his class without ever receiving a demerit, and to his first commission as an engineer tasked with protecting the nation’s coasts. A youthful marriage to a Washington‑connected heiress adds a personal dimension, while his perseverance on a stalled Mississippi flood project and daring scouting missions in the Mexican War reveal a steadfast dedication to duty. Listeners will hear these episodes dramatized in a short play, bringing the early chapters of his life to vivid, audible life.