Have you ever found an Ancestor that really surprised you? One you never would have thought could be related to you. Well, 4 years ago I discovered that I am related to General Robert E. Lee. I couldn’t believe it. I had every intention to write a blog about him, but I never did.
I have a lot of Ancestors who fought on both sides in the Civil War. For whatever reason, they really believed in their cause and they were willing to sacrifice for it, even if it was the price of their life. Some paid the price by being seriously wounded during battle and some came home unable to cope with what they had seen and done. I think I didn’t want to write about General Lee because I had a hard time with what he was fighting for.
Yesterday, I had a change of thinking. Not because I changed my mind about him, but because I discovered that I was also related to General Ulysses S. Grant. This was one of those “Freaky” moments I have been writing about.
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Gen. Robert E. Lee
They are both my 4th Cousin, 7 times removed
They both come from my Hayes family line
They both were 63 years old when they died
They both reached the rank of General by the end of the War
They fought against each other in 11 Battles
List of Battles:
Battle of Fredrick, Appomattox Courthouse, Cold Harbor, 2nd Battle of Petersburg, 3rd Battle of Petersburg, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Battle of the Wilderness, Totopotomoy Creek, Overland Campaign, Siege of Petersburg, and Battle of Richmond.
Lee Surrendered to Grant on April 10, 1865
Both Grant and Lee fought in Gen. Winfield Scotts’ unit during the Mexican American War
I don’t know about you but to me that is FREAKY!
I am a professional genealogist, writer, photographer, wife, mother, and grandma. I have two books available on Amazon.com: Your Family History: Doing It Right the First Time and Planning Your Genealogy Research Trip. You can also connect with me via Facebook or Twitter.