West Point to Rehang Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee Portrait with Slave in Background

The Army confirmed on Friday that the library of the U.S. Military Academy will rehang a portrait depicting Confederate General Robert E. Lee in uniform, accompanied by a slave leading his horse in the background. The recent decision represents another step taken by the Trump administration to reverse the efforts of a bipartisan commission established to remove Confederate monuments from military sites.

The New York Times first reported the reinstallation. A spokesperson for the Army subsequently verified the information in an email to Military.com. West Point has yet to provide a response to the inquiry, while the Pentagon has chosen to defer to the Army for further information.

The Lee portrait found its place on the wall in 1952, a time marked by the fervent “Lost Cause” movement, which aimed to depict the Confederacy's secessionist struggle as a valiant endeavor disconnected from the issue of slavery. The item was taken down and stored away following the guidance of the Naming Commission, a body created by Congress in 2020 in response to widespread protests concerning racial inequality.

The commission has ordered the Pentagon to remove all military property associated with Confederate names, monuments, and tributes. As a result of the efforts, the Lee portrait was preserved, nine Army bases were renamed, and Confederate statues were taken down.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are advocating for a reversal of those changes, asserting that they represent an erasure of history. Earlier this year, the administration took action to restore Confederate names to Army bases, navigating a legal loophole by selecting new honorees who bore the same last names as the original Confederate figures. In a decisive move, Congress has taken steps to address that loophole by introducing amendments in the current year's defense policy bill.

The absence of a proposed solution for the reinstallation of the Lee portrait has sparked inquiries regarding adherence to legal standards.

Lee's connections to West Point have consistently added layers of complexity to the situation. In 1829, he achieved the remarkable distinction of graduating second in his class, subsequently taking on the role of superintendent at the academy. However, the commission highlighted that Lee ultimately turned down a directive from the U.S. Army to take command of Confederate forces—a choice it asserted played a significant role in the extensive American casualties that followed.

The commission has decided to permit portraits of Lee in his U.S. Army uniform and references to his tenure as superintendent, while unanimously advocating the removal of any images depicting him in Confederate attire.

The panel emphasized that their recommendations do not aim to 'erase history'. The panel emphasized that their recommendations aim to preserve West Point's enduring legacy of training future generations of American military leaders to embody our nation's highest ideals.

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