General Robert E. Lee has been interpreted by history as one of the most intriguing personalities of the American Civil War era. In more recent years, there has been much speculation regarding General Lee's health during the war and the possible influence this had on his decision making and performance. Lee's personal letters during and after the war provide some documentation about his health condition, albeit through the eyes of a lay person. The history that was recorded by his personal physicians in Lexington, Virginia provides invaluable insights into his medical history. This manuscript focuses on the lives of these two physicians, Drs. Howard Barton and Robert Madison, and their interactions with their famous patient.
Key Points
* General Robert E. Lee developed a cardiac illness characterized by chest pain both during and after the Civil War.
* General Lee's personal physicians in Lexington, VA were Drs. Howard Barton and Robert Madison.
* Drs. Barton and Madison directed General Lee's medical care following his stroke in the fall of 1870.
* The doctors' observations and treatments were chronicled in The Richmond and Louisville Medical Journal of 1870.
* Based on current medical understanding, it is evident that General Lee suffered from progressive atherosclerosis during the last seven years of his life.