General Robert E. Lee Commemorative Medal “Pride of the South” Medal 

Description

General Robert E. Lee Commemorative Medal
“Pride of the South” Medal 

 

A handsome late nineteenth-century commemorative medal honoring General Robert E. Lee, one of the most recognized military leaders of the American Civil War. Struck in white metal, the medal features a finely executed right-facing bust of Lee surrounded by the inscriptions “Born Jan. 19, 1807,” “Died Oct. 12, 1870,” and the patriotic tribute “Pride of the South.”  

 

The reverse depicts Lee mounted on horseback accompanied by Confederate soldiers beneath the names of the principal campaigns and battlefields associated with the Army of Northern Virginia, including Manassas, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Richmond, Appomattox, and Charlottesville. The detailed battlefield imagery reflects the growing interest in Civil War remembrance that characterized the late nineteenth century.  

 

Produced as a commemorative rather than a wartime issue, medals of this type were popular among veterans, reunion attendees, and collectors during the decades following the Civil War. They served as keepsakes honoring General Lee’s military career and the enduring memory of the conflict.  

 

An attractive example of post-Civil War commemorative Americana, this General Robert E. Lee medal represents an enduring piece of Civil War memory and is a desirable addition to collections of Confederate memorabilia, reunion artifacts, and nineteenth-century historical medals.  

 

Inventory Number: CON 702