Author talk:Henrietta Bedinger Lee

Biographical sources
- AdamBMorgan (talk) 23:22, 25 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Find-a-Grave, lists birth and death years
 * Library of Congress—Custis-Lee family papers, 1700-circa 1928—Index, lists birth year
 * Grave marking held in Shepherdstown (Herald Mail article, August 31, 2008), lists both birth and death years as well
 * Heroines of Dixie (Google Books, snippet view), confirms correct person
 * A History of Jefferson County, West Virginia (1719-1940) by Millard Kessler Bushong (Google Books), as above

&mdash; William Maury Morris II Talk 02:17, 27 June 2012 (UTC)


 * [] Photograph of Henrietta Bedinger Lee

On Amazon.com but out of stock for now: []

(1) A sketch of the Bedinger family by Henrietta Bedinger Lee (1880) (2) Biographical and Genealogical Sketches of the Descendants of Colonel Richard Lee. With Brief Notices of the Related Families of Allerton, Armistead, Ashton, Aylett, Beding... by Edmund Jennings Lee (2002)

(3) Lights and shadows: Sketches of Harry Bedinger Lee, Confederate lad, school teacher, lawyer, minister of the Gospel, his wife, Lucy Marshall and their children by Rebecca Burwell Lee (1952)

Author talk:Henrietta Bedinger Lee

 * 1) Daughter of Lieut. Daniel & Sarah Bedinger
 * 2) Born Feb. 7, 1810; Died Oct. 7, 1898
 * 3) She wrote her letter to Federal General David Hunter (destroyed V.M.I.) July 20, 1864.
 * 4) She would have been age 54 with children and homeless, no food, no shelter, no transportation or other clothes; everyone in the Shenandoah Valley were destitute as she. July in Virginia is hot. How did she and others survive the destruction of everything? Where did they go?

add photo of Mrs H Lee.
 * [] Temporary until sorted out. Add short genealogy of Mrs. Henrietta Bedinger Lee, her husband and his direct Lee ancestry,

On July 19, 1864, Union General David Hunter—then attempting to drive Confederates from the Shenandoah Valley ordered the burning of three specific homes in Jefferson County as a part of General Grant's scorched earth policy of burning and stealing food and killing all animals a policy of "total war" including on all civilians. Homes destroyed included "Hunter Hill," the home of Andrew Hunter who had prosecuted John Brown, "Fountain Rock," near Shepherdstown, home of Confederate Congressman Alexander Boteler, and "Bedford," near Shepherdstown, the home of Edmund Jennings Lee (Robert E. Lee’s first cousin) and Henrietta Bedinger Lee. Source: James T. Surkamp, The Land Where We Were a Dreamin': A People’s History of Jefferson County, West Virginia (James T. Surkamp, Shepherdstown, West Virginia: p.62.

When General Early was made aware of the brutal tactics being employed in nearby Jefferson County he would later write that he: "Came to the conclusion that we had stood this mode of warfare long enough, and that it was time to open the eyes of the people of the North to its enormity, by an example in the way of retaliation." Source: Jubal A. Early, A Memoir of the Last Year of the War for Independence in the Confederate States of America, Containing an Account of the Operations of His Commands in the Years 1864 and 1865, 1867.

Unknown to Mrs. Henrietta Lee, Federal General David Hunter (See section "The Valley" ) was under orders by General Grant. Hunter replaced Sigel in command of the Army of the Shenandoah and the Department of West Virginia on May 21, 1864. Grant ordered Hunter to employ scorched earth tactics similar to those that would be used later in that year during Sherman's March to the Sea; he was to move through Staunton to Charlottesville and Lynchburg, living off the country and destroying the Virginia Central Railroad "beyond possibility of repair for weeks." Lee was concerned enough about Hunter that he dispatched a corps under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early to deal with him and General Early was able to chase General Hunter away from Lynchburg, Virginia. General Grant replaced General Hunter's position and added General Sherman which caused General Hunter to resign his position. General Grant's scorched earth policy was next repeated with General Sherman's infamous "March to the Sea". General Grant also stopped all prisoner or war exchanges which caused terrible sufferings for both northern and southern prisoners of war as well as death by the thousands on both sides.

The following burning protest against a cruel wrong deserves to be put on record, as a part of the history of General David Hunter's inglorious campaign in the Valley of Virginia, and we cheerfully comply with the request of a distinguished friend to publish it. The burning of this house and those of Colonel A. R. Boteler and Andrew Hunter, Esq., in the lower Valley, and of Governor Letcher's and the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, together with other acts of vandalism, have given General Hunter a place in the annals of infamy only equaled by the contempt felt for his military achievements:

Jefferson County, July 20, 1864.

General Hunter:

Yesterday your underling, Captain Martindale, of the First New York cavalry, executed your infamous order and burned my house ["Bedford"]. You have had the satisfaction ere this of receiving from him the information that your orders were fulfilled to the letter; the dwelling and every out-building, seven in number, with their contents, being burned. I, therefore, a helpless woman [age 54] whom you have cruelly wronged, address you, a Major-General of the United States army, and demand why this was done? What was my offence? My husband was absent, an exile.[Edmund Jennings Lee] He had never been a politician or in any way engaged in the struggle now going on, his age preventing. This fact your Chief-of-Staff, David Strother, could have told you. The house was built by my father [Lieut. Daniel Bedinger], a Revolutionary soldier, who served the whole seven years for your independence. There was I born; there the sacred dead repose. It was my house and my home, and there has your niece (Miss Griffith) who has tarried among us all this horrid war up to the present time, met with all kindness and hospitality at my hands. Was it for this that you turned me, my young daughter and little son [    ] out upon the world without a shelter? Or was it because my husband is the grandson of the Revolutionary patriot and "rebel," Richard Henry Lee, and the near kinsman of the noblest of Christian warriors, the greatest of Generals, Robert E. Lee? Heaven's blessing be upon his head forever. You and your Government have failed to conquer, subdue or match him; and disappointment, rage and malice find vent on the helpless and inoffensive.

Hyena like, you have torn my heart to pieces! for all hallowed memories clustered around that homestead, and, demon-like, you have done it without even the pretext of revenge, for I never saw or harmed you. Your office is not to lead, like a brave man and soldier, your men to fight in the ranks of war, but your work has been to separate yourself from all danger, and with your incendiary band steal unawares upon helpless women and children, to insult and destroy. Two fair homes did you yesterday ruthlessly lay in ashes, giving not a moment's warning to the startled inmates of your wicked purpose; turning mothers and children out of doors, you are execrated by your own men for the cruel work you give them to do.

In the case of Colonel A. R. Boteler, both father and mother were far away. Any heart but that of Captain Martindale (and yours) would have been touched by that little circle, comprising a widowed daughter just risen from her bed of illness, her three fatherless babies—the oldest not five years old—and her heroic sister. I repeat, any man would have been touched at that sight but Captain Martindale. One might as well hope to find mercy and feeling in the heart of a wolf bent on his prey of young lambs, as to search for such qualities in his bosom. You have chosen well your agent for such deeds, and doubtless will promote him!

A colonel of the Federal army has stated that you deprived forty of your officers of their commands because they refused to carry on your malignant mischief. All honor to their names for this at least! They are men—they have human hearts and blush for such a commander!

I ask who that does not wish infamy and disgrace attached to him forever would serve under you? Your name will stand on history's page as the Hunter of weak women and innocent children; the Hunter to destroy defenceless villages and refined and beautiful homes—to torture afresh the agonized hearts of widows; the Hunter of Africa's poor sons and daughters to lure them on to ruin and death of soul and body; the Hunter with the relentless heart of a wild beast, the face of a fiend and the form of a man. Oh, Earth, behold the monster! Can I say, "God forgive you"? No prayer can be offered for you! Were it possible for human lips to raise your name heavenward, angels would thrust the foul thing back again, and demons claim their own. The curses of thousands, the scorn of the manly and upright and the hatred of the true and honorable, will follow you and yours through all time, and brand your name infamy! infamy!

Again, I demand why you have burned my home? Answer as you must answer before the Searcher of all hearts, why have you added this cruel, wicked deed to your many crimes?

Henrietta E. Lee.

&mdash; William Maury Morris II Talk 03:38, 27 June 2012 (UTC)

A Sketch of the Bedinger Family
I found this while I was searching for biographical data. It is listed on Amazon; it is not available through the Internet Archive nor, as far as I am aware, any other online source. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 20:46, 26 June 2012 (UTC)