Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/698

662 LEE, Eliza Buckminster, author, b. in Ports- mouth, N. H., in 1794; d. in Brookline, Mass., 22 June, 1864. She was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Buckminster, from whom, and from her brother, Joseph S. Buckminster, she acquired a classical education and a fondness for literary pursuits. She married Thomas Lee, of Boston, and passed the greater part of her life in that city and in its vicinity. Her career as an author began with " Sketches of New England Life " (Boston, 1837), which was followed by " Delusion " (1839). She then published a translation from the German of the " Life of Jean Paul Richter " (New York, 1842), and "Walt and Vult, or the Twins" (1845), from Richter's " Flegeljahre." Her other writings are "Naomi, or Boston Two Hundred Years Ago" (Boston, 1848) ; " Memoir of Dr. Joseph Buckmin- ster and of his Son, Rev. Joseph Stevens Buckmin- ster" (1849); "Florence, the Parish Orphan" (1850) ; " Parthenia, or the Last Days of Pagan- ism " (1858) ; and a translation of Berthold Auer- bach's " Barefoot Maiden " (1860).

LEE, Ezra, soldier, b. in Lyme, Conn., in 1749 ; d. there, 29 Oct., 1821. In August, 1776, he was selected by Gen. Samuel H. Parsons, with the ap- proval of Washington, for the hazardous enterprise of affixing to the British ship Eagle, then lying in New York harbor, an infernal machine called the " Marine Turtle," the invention of David Bushnell (q. v.). The attempt was only partially successful, owing to the thickness of the ship's copper sheath- ing, but Lee landed safely after remaining several hours in the water, and received the congratulations of Washington, who afterward employed him on se- cret service. Lee made a similar attempt a short time afterward with Bushnell's machine and en- deavored to destroy a British frigate that lay opposite Bloomingdale, N. Y., but was discovered and compelled to abandon the enterprise. He sub- sequently participated in the battles of Trenton, Brandywine, and Monmouth.

LEE, Gideon, merchant, b. in Amherst, Mass., 27 April, 1778 ; d. in Geneva, N. Y., 21 Aug., 1841. He was a shoemaker by trade, began business on his own account in Worthington, Mass., and, re- moving to New York city in 1807, entered the leather trade, and, as agent for the Hampshire Leather Manufactory, established an extensive and lucrative business. He was elected to the legis- lature in 1822, became mayor of New York in 1833, and displayed courage and energy in sup- pressing the election riots of 1833. He was elected to congress as a Jackson Democrat in 1834 and served till 1837, and in 1840 he was a presidential elector. His son-in-law, Charles M. Leupp, a lover and patron of American art, and a member of the Century Club, was associated with him in the leath- er trade, and succeeded to his business.

LEE, Hannah Farnham Sawyer, author, b. in Newburyport, Mass., in 1780; d. in Boston, Mass., 27 Dec, 1865. She was the daughter of a physician of Newburyport, married George Gardiner Lee. of Boston, early in life, and resided in the latter city for many years. Her first acknowledged pub- lication was an appendix to Hannah Adams's memoir of herself (Boston, 1832). This was suc- ceeded by "Grace Seymour" (New York, 1835), and "Three Experiments in Living" (1838). a work suggested by the commercial disasters of the time, which passed through more than thirty editions in the United States, and as many as ten in England. Her works exercised a wide and healthful influence on the youth of the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Her other writings include many tracts and essays that were published anonymously, and " Eleanor Fulton," a sequel to " Three Experiments in Living" (Boston, 1838); "Familiar Sketches of the Old Painters " (1838) ; "The Huguenots in France and America " (1842) ; " Stories from Life " (1849); " Memoir of Pierre Toussaint " (1853) ; and " Hisory of Sculptors and Sculpture " (1854).

LEE, Henry, pioneer, b. in Virginia in 1758: d. in Mason county, Ky., in 1846. He was well educated, and studied surveying, which profession he pursued for many years in Mason county, Ky., having been one of the early settlers in that state. He was a member of the Virginia legisla- ture from the district of Kentucky, and also of the convention that adopted the constitution of the United States. He was elected to the convention at Danville in 1787, was one of the commissioners that located the seat of government at Frankfort, and county lieutenant for all the territory north of Licking river. He then studied law, was ap- pointed judge of the quarter sessions and associate judge of the circuit court for Mason county, and was also for many years president of the Washing- ton branch of the Bank of Kentucky. He was a sagacious man, of excellent business habits, and amassed a large fortune. His personal appearance was imposing, as he was tall and powerfully built.

LEE, Henry Washington, P. E. bishop, b. in Hamden, Conn., 29 July, 1815; d. in Davenport, Iowa, 26 Sept., 1874. He received his education and training for college at the Episcopal academy, Cheshire, Conn., removed to Massachusetts, opened a private school at Taunton, and studied theology while engaged in school-work. He was ordained deacon in Grace church, New Bedford, Mass., 27 May, 1838, by Bishop Griswold, and priest in St. Anne's church, Lowell, 9 Oct., 1839, by the same bishop. He served part of his diaconate in New Bedford, but in October, 1839, he removed to Springfield, Mass., and became rector of Christ church, 2 April, 1840. Three years later he ac- cepted the rectorship of St. Luke's church, Roches- ter, N. Y., which post he occupied for eleven years. He was elected first bishop of Iowa, and conse- crated in St. Luke's church, Rochester, 18 Oct., 1854. He received the degree of D. D. from Ho- bart college in 1850, and from the University of Rochester in 1852. Bishop Lee received also the degree of LL. D. from the University of Cambridge, England, in 1867. He made no contributions to church literature.

LEE, James, merchant, b. in Scotland in 1795 ; d. in New York city, 16 June, 1874. For more than forty years he was a prosperous merchant in New York city, and was principally engaged in the Scotch trade. He was for a long time connected with the New York society library, and Brown's statue of Washington on Union square was erected mainly through his instrumentality. When a rich and penurious merchant, in answer to his appeal for a subscription, answered that a statue was un- necessary, as Gen. Washington was enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen, Mr. Lee answered : "Well, Mr. R, if he is in your heart, he is in a d—d tight place."

LEE, Jesse, missionary, b. in Prince George county, Va., 12 March, 1758; d. in Baltimore, Md., 12 Sept., 1816. At the age of nineteen he removed to North Carolina, and, entering the ministry of the Methodist church, preached his first sermon in 1779. In 1780 he was drafted into the militia to repel the British invasion of South Carolina, and on his refusal to do active duty was impressed as a chaplain, serving four months in that capacity. His first appointment was near Eden ton. N. C., and in 1783 he was received into the conference on