Robert E. Lee
(1807–1870)

Lee was born in Stratford Hall, Virginia, in 1807, and spent much of his life in the state. During the Civil War, Lee was a Confederate general that used Culpeper as a central base camp location strategically throughout the war because of its convenient location placed between Richmond and D.C. as well as a short distance to Fredericksburg and the Wilderness battlefields.
One of the most notable engagements in Culpeper County that Lee was involved with was the Battle of Brandy Station, fought on June 9, 1863. This was the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, and while it proved to be a Union victory, it showed Lee's troops vulnerability to Union cavalry forces. Lee’s defeat at this battle is said to have influenced his tactical decisions leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg later in 1863, where ultimately his army was defeated.
After the war, he became president of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in Virginia, where he worked to help the region recover. He lived out the rest of his years relatively quietly in Lexington, VA until his death in 1870 at the age of 63. His legacy continues to be controversial because if his clear views regarding slavery and remains to stir conversations among historians and history lovers alike.
Sources:
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/brandy-station
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/brandy-station
https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-lee.htm