Samuel Phillips Lee (February 13, 1812 – June 5, 1897) was an officer of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. In the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, he took part in the New Orleans campaign before commanding the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, covering the coastlines and inland waters of Virginia and North Carolina, and finally the Mississippi River Squadron. As a cousin of

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

, his refusal to join the Confederates' side by remaining loyal to the Union demonstrated how the war had divided families. Lee married Elizabeth Blair the daughter of Francis P. Blair Sr., and their house in Washington is now the president's official guest house.

Early life and education

Lee was born on February 13, 1812,direct link
/ref> at the Sully Plantation in

Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most p ...

, to Francis Lightfoot Lee II and Jane Fitzgerald. He was the grandson 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 fr ...

, great-nephew of Francis Lightfoot Lee I, brother-in-law of Francis Preston Blair Jr., and of Montgomery Blair, and was third cousin of

Career

He was appointed a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

in the U.S. Navy in November 1825 and subsequently saw extensive service at sea, including combat action during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

and exploration, surveying, and oceanographic duty. At the outbreak of the

in 1861, Lee held the rank of

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

and was

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the

sloop-of-war During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all u ...

in the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...

, sailing her home on his own initiative to join the blockade of the Southern coast. Commander Lee commanded the new steam sloop during the

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

campaign and subsequent operations on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

in the first half of 1862.

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral, Vice admiral (United State ...

had given Commander Lee smaller vessels to ascend the Mississippi River as far as Vicksburg shortly after the naval battle at New Orleans to cut off Confederate supplies from the west and then later the command of five larger vessels to effect the surrender of Vicksburg which Farragut and others assumed would be forthcoming. The Confederates rebuffed Lee's offer of surrender and ordered civilians to evacuate the river city in view of a naval bombardment which never came. Lee was replaced by Captain James Palmer. When asked about his loyalty, Lee famously replied, "When I find the word Virginia in my commission I will join the Confederacy." This quote is often referenced by historians in contrast to the actions of his cousin

, to show how the war divided families. In September 1862, Lee was placed in command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron with the rank of Acting

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

. He led this force for over two years, during which it was responsible for the blockade of the

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

coast and operations on North Carolina and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

inland waters, all areas of very active combat between Union and Confederate forces. In September 1863 with some supplies being scarce, the admiral advised the naval station at Wilmington, North Carolina that a single small vessel could be used for patrols of that port. Acting Rear Admiral Lee transferred to the command of the Mississippi River Squadron in October 1864 and led it to the end of the Civil War in 1865. Reverting to his permanent rank of

after the Civil War, Lee extensively served in the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, area. He was promoted to

in 1870 and retired from active service in February 1873.

Personal life

Lee married Elizabeth Blair on April 27, 1843. During the Civil War, he was away for long periods. Elizabeth's letters to her husband describe wartime life in her homes of Washington, D.C., and

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, it is an edge city with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 ...

. Her letters are published in the book ''Wartime Washington : the Civil War letters of Elizabeth Blair Lee''. Lee became well known in Washington society due to the influence of his wife, the former Elizabeth Blair of Maryland. In 1859, Lee's father-in-law, Francis Preston Blair, built a house for Lee and his wife Elizabeth next door to his own. These two houses, within a block of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

in Washington, D.C., were later combined into one house and became the property of the U.S. government. Today they are the Blair-Lee House, used by the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

as his guest house. Upon retirement, he moved to the family home in

, where he died on June 5 or June 7, 1897.

Legacy

Two U.S. Navy ships have been named in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee, the destroyer , which was commissioned in October 1920 and lost by stranding in September 1923, and the research vessel (later T-AG-192), which was in naval service between 1968 and 1974.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Samuel Phillips 1812 births 1897 deaths Union Navy admirals United States Navy admirals

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

People from Chantilly, Virginia People of Virginia in the American Civil War Blair family (United States)