Henry Lee III (January 29, 1756 – March 25, 1818) was an early American
Patriot
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution
* Patriot m ...
and U.S. politician who served as the ninth
Governor of Virginia and as the Virginia
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
to the United States Congress. Lee's service during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
as a
cavalry officer in the
Continental Army earned him the nickname by which he is best known, "Light-Horse Harry".
[In the military parlance of the time, the term "Light-horse" had a hyphen between the two words "light" and "horse". See the title page of ''The Discipline of the Light-Horse. By Captain Hinde, of the Royal Regiment of Foresters, (Light-Dragoons.)'' published in London in 1778, a cavalry tactics classic which was used as a manual.] He was the father of
Robert E. Lee, who led
Confederate armies against the U.S. in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
.
Life and career
Early life and family
Lee was born on
Leesylvania Plantation in
Prince William County
Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...
in the
Colony of Virginia. He was the son of
Col. Henry Lee II (1730–1787) of "
Leesylvania" and Lucy Grymes (1734–1792). His father was the first cousin of
Richard Henry Lee
Richard Henry Lee (January 20, 1732June 19, 1794) was an American statesman and Founding Father from Virginia, best known for the June 1776 Lee Resolution, the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence f ...
, twelfth
President of the Continental Congress
The president of the United States in Congress Assembled, known unofficially as the president of the Continental Congress and later as the president of the Congress of the Confederation, was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the ...
. His mother was an aunt of the wife of
Virginia Governor Thomas Nelson Jr. His great-grandmother Mary Bland was also a grand-aunt of President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
. Lee was the grandson of
Henry Lee I, a great-grandson of
Richard Bland
Richard Bland (May 6, 1710 – October 26, 1776), sometimes referred to as Richard Bland II or Richard Bland of Jordan's Point, was an American Founding Father, planter and statesman from Virginia. A cousin and early mentor of Thomas Jeffers ...
, and a great-great-grandson of
William Randolph
William Randolph I (bapt. 7 November 1650 – 11 April 1711) was a planter, merchant and politician in colonial Virginia who played an important role in the development of the colony. Born in Moreton Morrell, Warwickshire, Randolph moved to th ...
.
He was also a descendant of
Theodorick Bland of Westover
Theodorick Bland (January 16, 1629 – April 23, 1671), also known as Theodorick Bland of Westover, was a planter, merchant and politician in colonial Virginia.
Early and family life
Born in London, he served as his family's business agent ...
and Governor
Richard Bennett.
Lee graduated from the College of New Jersey (now
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
) in 1773, and began pursuing a legal career.
Military career
With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he instead became a
captain in a Virginia
dragoon detachment, which was attached to the
1st Continental Light Dragoons. In 1778, Lee was promoted to
major and given the command of a mixed corps of cavalry and infantry known as
Lee's Legion
Lee's Legion (also known as the 2nd Partisan Corps) was a military unit within the Continental Army during the American Revolution. It primarily served in the Southern Theater of Operations, and gained a reputation for efficiency, bravery on t ...
, with which he won a great reputation as a capable leader of light troops. At the time, highly mobile groups of light cavalry provided valuable service not only during major battles, but also by conducting reconnaissance and surveillance, engaging the enemy during troop movements, disrupting delivery of supplies, raiding and skirmishing, and organizing expeditions behind enemy lines; part of such tactics now are known as
guerrilla warfare and
maneuver warfare
Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare, is a military strategy which seeks to shatter the enemy's overall
cohesion and will to fight.
Background
Maneuver warfare, the use of initiative, originality and the unexpected, combined with a rut ...
. In August, Lee led a detachment on a raid on a British fort, culminating in the
Battle of Paulus Hook in New Jersey on August 19, in which 50 British soldiers were killed or wounded and 158 captured, while the Americans suffered two dead, three wounded and seven captured. (Despite his success, some of his fellow officers saw to it he was brought before a
court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
on eight charges, over George Washington's disapproval; he was acquitted on all counts.) In September of the same year, Lee commanded a unit of dragoons which defeated a Hessian regiment at the
Battle of Edgar's Lane.
It was during his time as commander of the Legion that Lee earned the sobriquet of "Light-Horse Harry" for his horsemanship. On September 22, 1779, the Continental Congress voted to present Lee with a gold medal—an honor given to no other officer below the rank of general—for the Legion's actions during the Battle of Paulus Hook.
Lee was promoted to
lieutenant colonel and was assigned with his Legion to the southern theater of war. Lee's Legion raided the British outpost of Georgetown, South Carolina, with General
Francis Marion in January 1781 and helped screen the American army in their Race to the Dan River the following month. Lee united with General Francis Marion and General
Andrew Pickens in the spring of 1781 to capture numerous British outposts in South Carolina and Georgia including
Fort Watson, Fort Motte,
Fort Granby, South Carolina, Fort Galphin, Fort Grierson, and Fort Cornwallis,
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georgi ...
. Lee and his legion also served at the
Battle of Guilford Court House, the
Siege of Ninety-Six, and the
Battle of Eutaw Springs. He was present at
Charles Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
's surrender at
Yorktown, but left the Army shortly after, claiming fatigue and disappointment with his treatment from fellow officers.
In 1794, Lee was summoned by President
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
to suppress the
Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. Lee commanded the 12,950 militiamen sent to quash the rebels; because of a peaceful surrender, there was no fighting. In 1798, in anticipation of a war with France, Henry Lee was appointed a
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
. In 1808, he was recommissioned by President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
as major-general when war with Great Britain was imminent; Lee organized the Virginia militia. He asked President
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...
for a commission at the onset of the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
but without success. In 1812 he published his ''Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States'', where he summarized his military experiences during the
Revolutionary War.
Political career
From 1786 to 1788, Lee was a delegate to the
Congress of the Confederation. In 1788, he served in the Virginia convention and supported the ratification of the
United States Constitution. From 1789 to 1791, he served in the
Virginia General Assembly, and from 1791 to 1794, was
Governor of Virginia.
A new county of Virginia was named after him during his governorship.
From 1799 to 1801, he served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
as a
Federalist. At Washington's funeral on December 26, 1799, Lee famously
eulogized him to a crowd of 4,000 as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
Family
Between April 8 and 13, 1782, at
Stratford Hall, Lee married his second cousin, Matilda Ludwell Lee (1764–1790), who was known as "the Divine Matilda". She was the daughter of Philip Ludwell Lee Sr. and Elizabeth Steptoe. Matilda had three children before she died in 1790:
* Philip Ludwell Lee (1784–1794)
* Lucy Grymes Lee (1786–1860)
*
Henry Lee IV (May 28, 1787 – January 30, 1837), was a historian and author who also served as a speech writer for both
John C. Calhoun and presidential candidate
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, also helping the latter to write his inaugural address.
On June 18, 1793, Lee married the wealthy
Anne Hill Carter (1773–1829) at
Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virgi ...
. Anne was the daughter of Charles Carter,
Esq.
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman a ...
, of Shirley, and his wife Ann Butler Moore. According to Winston Fontaine's research, Anne Moore's paternal pedigree dates back to Sir
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...
. Her mother, Anne Katherine, was the daughter of Virginia Governor
Alexander Spotswood
Alexander Spotswood (12 December 1676 – 7 June 1740) was a British Army officer, explorer and lieutenant governor of Colonial Virginia; he is regarded as one of the most significant historical figures in British North American colonial h ...
, who was the great-grandson of John Spotswood and Rachel Lindsay; Rachelle's ancestors were
David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford, and Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of King
Robert II of Scotland. They had six children:
* Algernon Sidney Lee (April 2, 1795 – August 9, 1796), died at
Sully Plantation, buried there in an unmarked grave
[Gamble, Robert S. '' Sully: Biography of a House'' (Sully Foundation Ltd: Chantilly, VA, 1973), p. 40]
* Charles Carter Lee (1798–1871)
* Anne Kinloch Lee (1800–1864)
*
Sydney Smith Lee (1802–1869)
*
Robert Edward Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of North ...
(January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870), the fifth child of Henry and Anne, served as
Confederate general-in-chief during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
.
* Mildred Lee (1811–1856)
Later life
After retiring from public service in 1801, he lived with his family at
Stratford Hall and unsuccessfully tried to manage his plantation. The
Panic of 1796–1797 and bankruptcy of
Robert Morris reduced Lee's fortune. In 1809, he became bankrupt and served one year in
debtors' prison
A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Histori ...
in
Montross, Virginia; his son, Robert Lee was two years old at the time. After release, Lee moved his family to
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C.
In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...
.
During the
civil unrest in Baltimore, Maryland in 1812, Lee received grave injuries while helping to resist an attack on his friend,
Alexander Contee Hanson
Alexander Contee Hanson (February 27, 1786April 23, 1819) was an American lawyer, publisher, and statesman. He represented the third district of Maryland in the U.S. House, and the state of Maryland in the U.S. Senate.
Early life
Alexander Con ...
, editor of the Baltimore newspaper, ''The Federal Republican'' on July 27, 1812. Hanson was attacked by a
Democratic-Republican mob because his paper opposed the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
. Lee and Hanson and two dozen other Federalists had taken refuge in the offices of the paper. The group surrendered to Baltimore city officials the next day and were jailed. Laborer George Woolslager led a mob that forced its way into the jail and removed the Federalists, beating and torturing them over the next three hours. All were severely injured, and one Federalist,
James Lingan, died.
Lee suffered extensive internal injuries as well as head and face wounds, and even his speech was affected. His observed symptoms were consistent with what is now called
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...
. After unsuccessful convalescence at home, he sailed to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
in an effort to recuperate from his injuries. On his way back to Virginia, he died on March 25, 1818, at
Dungeness
Dungeness () is a headland on the coast of Kent, England, formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland. It shelters a large area of low-lying land, Romney Marsh. Dungeness spans Dungeness Nuclear Power Station, the hamlet ...
, on
Cumberland Island
Cumberland Island, in the southeastern United States, is the largest of the Sea Islands of Georgia. The long-staple Sea Island cotton was first grown here by a local family, the Millers, who helped Eli Whitney develop the cotton gin. With its ...
, Georgia, cared for by
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...
's daughter Louisa. "Light-Horse Harry" was buried with full military honors, provided by an American fleet stationed near
St. Marys, Georgia, in a small cemetery at Dungeness. In 1913, his remains were moved to the Lee family crypt at
University Chapel, on the campus of
Washington & Lee University in
Lexington, Virginia.
In popular culture
The fictional character of Colonel Harry Burwell in the 2000 film ''
The Patriot'' according to screenwriter
Robert Rodat
Robert Rodat (born c. 1960) is an American film and television writer and television producer. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing Steven Spielberg's war epic ''Saving Private Ryan''.
Career
Rodat wrot ...
was inspired by the historical exploits of Henry Lee.
In the 1969 musical ''
1776
Events January–February
* January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
* Januar ...
'' Lee's nickname is mentioned (anachronistically) during the song "The Lees of Old Virginia," sung by the character of his older cousin
Richard Henry Lee
Richard Henry Lee (January 20, 1732June 19, 1794) was an American statesman and Founding Father from Virginia, best known for the June 1776 Lee Resolution, the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence f ...
.
Henry Lee III was a member of the
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia.
Works
* Lee, Henry, and Robert E. Lee
''Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States. Eyewitness accounts of the American Revolution'' Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1812. (3rd ed. published in 1869, with memoir by his son Robert E. Lee.)
See also
*
Lighthorse Harry Lee Cabin
Notes
References
Sources
*
Further reading
A Guide to the Governor Henry Lee Executive Papers, 1791–1794a
The Library of Virginia* Herrera, Ricardo A
"(T)he zealous activity of Capt. Lee': Light-Horse Harry Lee and Petite Guerre,"''Journal of Military History, 79 (Jan. 2015), 9–36.
* Royster, Charles. ''Light-horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolutionary War.'' Williamsburg, Va.: Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1978.
''Lee's Legion Remembered: Profiles of the 2d Partisan Corps, Edited and Annotated by William Thomas Sherman''''Observations on the writings of Thomas Jefferson: with particular reference to the attack they contain on the memory of the late Gen. Henry Lee; in a series of letters, by Henry Lee and Charles Carter Lee''*
External links
*
William Sturgis Thomas, Members of the Society of the Cincinnati, Original, Hereditary and Honorary; With a Brief Account of the Society's History and Aims (New York: T.A. Wright, 1929) page 93.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Henry 03
1756 births
1818 deaths
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Bland family of Virginia
Burials at University Chapel
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Continental Army officers from Virginia
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18th-century American politicians
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Fendall family
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Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
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** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
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