Which Confederate general opposed secession but did not believe the Union should be held together by force?

• A. Abraham Lincoln
• B. Ulysses S. Grant
• C. Robert E. Lee
• D. Jefferson Davis

Answer: (C)

The choice of Robert E. Lee as the Confederate general who opposed secession but believed that the Union should not be held together by force is rooted in his personal beliefs and historical context. Lee was a career officer in the U.S. Army and had strong ties to the Union and its values. However, when Virginia decided to secede, he felt compelled to follow his home state, despite his reservations about the decision to leave the Union. Lee’s stance emphasizes a complex view of loyalty to one's state over national allegiance. He believed in the importance of maintaining order and integrity but opposed the use of force to preserve the Union, reflecting a nuanced perspective on the conflicts between state and federal authority during that turbulent time in American history.