However, as tensions between the North and the South escalated and Virginia voted to secede, Lee felt compelled to side with his home state and defend its sovereignty. He believed that the Union was attempting to impose its will on the South and that the Confederacy had a legitimate right to self-determination. While he did not personally own slaves and did not support the institution of slavery as it existed in the South, Lee viewed the war as a matter of states' rights and loyalty to Virginia.
Throughout the war, Lee consistently expressed his desire for peace and a speedy resolution to the conflict. He believed that both sides should strive for reconciliation and that the war was a tragic necessity forced upon the South by the North. He also opposed the radical and extreme elements on both sides that sought to prolong the war and increase its brutality.
In his personal correspondence and writings, Lee often expressed his deep sorrow and regret over the loss of life and destruction caused by the war. He was particularly troubled by the impact of the conflict on innocent civilians and the devastation it brought to the South. He also mourned the loss of many friends and fellow soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
Overall, Lee's feelings about the war were geprägt by a sense of duty, honor, and loyalty to his home state, as well as a deep sadness over the tragic consequences of the conflict.