Why did Robert E. Lee resign from the U.S. Army in 1861?

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Robert E. Lee resigned from the United States Army in April 1861 because he could not bring himself to take the field against his native state of Virginia.

Although Lee opposed secession, he declined an offer to command the Union forces being raised to suppress the rebellion. In a letter to General in Chief Winfield Scott, Lee explained his position, stating, "Save in the defense of my native State, I never desire again to draw my sword." Following his resignation, he accepted an appointment to lead Virginia's state forces and subsequently joined the Confederate States of America.1