Editing Robert E. Lee (section)

==Mexican–American War==
[[File:Robert E Lee 1851.jpg|thumb|upright|Lee around age 43, when he was a brevet lieutenant-colonel of engineers, c. 1850]]

Lee distinguished himself in the [[Mexican–American War]] (1846–1848). He was one of [[Winfield Scott]]'s chief aides in the march from [[Veracruz (city)|Veracruz]] to Mexico City.<ref>{{harvnb|Thomas|1997|pp=pages=118–121}}.</ref> He was instrumental in several American victories through his personal reconnaissance as a staff officer; he found routes of attack that the [[Mexico|Mexicans]] had not defended because they thought the terrain was impassable.

He was promoted to [[brevet (military)|brevet]] major after the [[Battle of Cerro Gordo]] on April 18, 1847.<ref>{{harvnb|Freeman|1934|p=248}}.</ref> He also fought at [[Battle of Contreras|Contreras]], [[Battle of Churubusco|Churubusco]], and [[Battle of Chapultepec|Chapultepec]] and was wounded at the last. By the end of the war, he had received additional brevet promotions to lieutenant colonel and colonel, but his permanent rank was still captain of engineers, and he would remain a captain until his transfer to the [[cavalry]] in 1855.

For the first time, Robert E. Lee and [[Ulysses S. Grant]] met and worked with each other during the Mexican–American War. Close observations of their commanders constituted a learning process for both Lee and Grant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/lee-and-grant/war?legacy=true|title=Lee and Grant &#124; Before the War|publisher=Virginia Historical Society|access-date=October 15, 2010|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714233050/http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/lee-and-grant/war?legacy=true|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Mexican–American War concluded on February 2, 1848.

After the Mexican War, Lee spent three years at [[Fort Carroll]] in [[Baltimore]] harbor. During this time, his service was interrupted by other duties, among them surveying and updating maps in Florida. Cuban revolutionary [[Narciso López]] intended to forcibly liberate Cuba from Spanish rule. In 1849, searching for a leader for his [[Filibuster (military)|filibuster]] expedition, he approached Jefferson Davis, then a United States senator. Davis declined and suggested Lee, who also declined. Both decided it was inconsistent with their duties.<ref>{{harvnb|Thomas|1997|p=148}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Thomson|first=Janice E.|year=1996|title=Mercenaries, Pirates and Sovereigns|publisher=Princeton University Press|page=121}}</ref>