Any victory would be dear at such a price.

Whither shall I flee? To no country on earth that I know of where there is as much liberty as yet remains to me even in Virginia.

I believe I may so, looking into my own heart, and speaking as in the presence of God, that I have never know one moment of bitterness or resentment.

I should NOT be trading on the blood of my men.

There is scarcely anything that is right that we cannot hope to accomplish by labor and perseverance. But the first must be earnest and the second unremitting.

A man may manifest and communicate his joy, but he should conceal and smother his grief as much as possible.

You cannot barter manhood for peace.

I have never witnessed on any previous occasion such entire disregard of the usage of civilized warfare and the dictates of humanity.

I consider the proper education of our youths one of the most important objects now to be attained and one from which the greatest benefits may be expected.

I endeavored to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all his mercies to me, for his preservation of me through all the dangers I have passed, and all the blessings which he has bestowed upon me, for I know I fall far short of my obligations.

It is good that war is terrible. Or else we would become too fond of it.

For I consider the character of no man affected by a want of success, provided he has made an honest effort to succeed.

True patriotism sometimes requires of men to act exactly contrary, at one period, to that which it does at another, and the motive which impels them the desire to do right is precisely the same.

There is always hazard in military activity, but we must decide between the positive loss of inactivity and the risk of action.

We must forgive our enemies.

Lee assess a subordinate commander as “all lion; no fox.

Show me a shouter, and I’ll show you an also-ran. A might-have-been, an almost-was.

We must enlist our own snake and strike like a cobra against their vitals with an attack on Washington.

I am as willing to serve now as in the beginning in any capacity and at any post where I can do good. The lower the position, the more suitable to my ability and the more agreeable to my feelings.

Let us go home and cultivate our virtues.

Duty is the sublimest work in the English language.

I will attack no matter what and win the war!

You have only always to do what is right. It will become easier by practice, and you enjoy in the midst of your trials the pleasure of an approving conscience.

We have fought this fight as long, and as well as we know how. We have been defeated. For us as a Christian people, there is now but one course to pursue. We must accept the situation.

My trust is in the mercy and wisdom of a kind Providence, who ordereth all things for our good.

We must look to the rising generation for the restoration of the country.

I tremble for my country when I hear of confidence expressed in me. I know too well my weakness, that our only hope is in God.

The devil’s name is dullness.

The real honest man is honest from conviction of what is right, not from policy.

You see what a poor sinner I am, and how unworthy to possess what was given me; for that reason it has been taken away.

Keep steady in the view of the great principles for which you contend. The safety of your homes and the lives of all you hold dear depend upon your courage and exertions. Let each man resolve to be victorious, and that the right of self government, liberty and peace shall find him a defender.

But what a cruel thing is war to separate and destroy families and friends.

Act with a determination not to be turned aside by thoughts of the past and fears of the future.

We must expect reverses, even defeats. They are sent to teach us wisdom and prudence, to call forth greater energies, and to prevent our falling into greater disasters.

Postal officials say that before Christmas they receive tons of letters written to Santa Claus, but after Christmas how few letters of thanks are sent to him! From childhood onward, human beings seem to be characterized by thanklessness.

Abandon your animosities and make your sons Americans!

It is glorious to see such courage in one so young.

Go home all you boys who fought with me and help build up the shattered fortunes of our old state.

Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage.

We must forgive our enemies. I can truly say that not a day has passed since the war began that I have not prayed for them.

We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.

Without music, we wouldn’t have an Army.

The trite saying that honesty is the best policy has met with the just criticism that honesty is not policy. The real honest man is honest from conviction of what is right, not from policy.

I believe it to be the duty of everyone to unite in the restoration of the country and the reestablishment of peace and harmony.

Ideas are easy to conceive, less easy to execute.

As a general principle you should not force young men to do their duty, but let them do it voluntarily and thereby develop their characters.

I have been up to see the Congress and they do not seem to be able to do anything except to eat peanuts and chew tobacco, while my army is starving.

A Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets, and in which strife and civil war are to take the place of brotherly love and kindness, has no charm for me.

The time is not come for impartial history. If the truth were told just now, it would not be credited.

He has lost his left arm, but I my right.

It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.

Read history, works of truth, not novels and romances.

I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings. And have never seen the day when I did not pray for them.

A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.

Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.

You cannot be a true man until you learn to obey.

Every student must be a gentleman.

There is nothing left for me to do but to go and see General Grant and I would rather die a thousand deaths.

No day should be lived unless it was begun with a prayer of thankfulness and an intercession for guidance.

I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity.

What a glorious world Almighty God has given us. How thankless and ungrateful we are, and how we labor to mar his gifts.

It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it.

Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university.

It is history that teaches us to hope.

We cannot afford to be idle, and though weaker than our opponents in men and military equipments, must endeavor to harass, if we cannot destroy them.

Death, in its silent sure march is fast gathering those whom I have longest loved, so that when he shall knock at my door, I will more willingly follow.

I am now considered such a monster, that I hesitate to darken with my shadow, the doors of those I love, lest I should bring upon them misfortune.

To be a good soldier, you must love the army. To be a good commander, you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love.

There is a true glory and a true honor: the glory of duty done – the honor of the integrity of principle.

Teach him to deny himself.

The biggest mistake of my life was taking a military education.

There is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man’s face and another behind his back.

All military history records the triumphs of discipline and courage far more frequently than numbers and resources.

My experience through life has convinced me that, while moderation and temperance in all things are commendable and beneficial, abstinence from spirituous liquors is the best safeguard of morals and health.

My heart bleeds at the death of every one of our gallant men.

I did only what my duty demanded. I could have taken no other course without dishonor.

There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil.

All that the South has ever desired was that the Union, as established by our forefathers, should be preserved, and that the government as originally organized should be administered in purity and truth.

The enemy is here, and if we do not whip him, he will whip us.

The enemy never sees the backs of my Texans!

We have but one rule here, and that is that every student must be a gentleman.

Remember, we are all one country now. Dismiss from your mind all sectional feeling, and bring them up to be Americans.

My chief concern is to try to be an humble, earnest Christian.

There are things in the Old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible Word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

I like whiskey. I always did, and that is why I never drink it.

I was too weak to defend, so I attacked.

The education of a man is never completed until he dies.

The consolidation of the states into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.

Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.

What a beautiful world God, in His loving kindness to His creatures, has given us! What a shame that men endowed with reason and knowledge of right should mar His gifts.

I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.

Never do a wrong thing to make a friend – or to keep one.

In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.

All this has been my fault.

You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do on every occasion, and take it for granted that you mean to do right.

We have only one rule here – to act like a gentleman at all times.

Private and public life are subject to the same rules-truth and manliness are two qualities that will carry you through this world much better than policy or tact of expediency or other words that were devised to conceal a deviation from a straight line.

I would rather die a thousand deaths than surrender.

The dominant party cannot reign forever, and truth and justice will prevail at last.

I can only say that I am nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.

All I ever wanted was a Virginia farm, no end of cream and fresh butter and fried chicken – not one fried chicken, or two, but unlimited fried chicken.

You must be careful how you walk and where you go, for there are those following you who will set their feet where yours are set.

A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know where it is today.

Duty, then is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less.

A land without memories is a people without liberty.