Napoleon Bonaparte

Although this statue was not at Arlington, Napoleon was a major world figure of the period. George Washington Parke Custis considered Napoleon a “Corsican Caesar” and denounced him as a tyrant. Lee viewed him as a military genius.

As a cadet at West Point, Lee was drilled in Napoleonic tactics. As an officer, Lee continued to study Napoleon’s campaigns. Professional officers who fought in the Civil War were familiar with Napoleon’s military strategy.