Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/17

 GOVERNORS OF THE STATE— 1861-1915

Lee, Fitzhugh, born at Clermont, Fair- fax county, November 19, 1835, son of Commodore Sydney Smith Lee, U. S. N., grandson of "Light Horse Harry Lee," and nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee. After re- ceiving an academical education he was ap- pointed to the United States military acad- emy in 1852, graduating in 1856, and was commissioned second lieutenant of cavalry. He was in active service against the In- dians, and was severely wounded. In May, i860, he was ordered to report at the United States Military Academy as cavalry instruc- tor, and was on this duty until the out- break of the civil war when he resigned. Entering the Confederate service, he was commissioned first lieutenant of cavalry. For four months he was adjutant-general of Gen. Ewell's brigade. In August, 1861, he was made lieutenant-colonel of the First Virginia Cavalry, was promoted to colonel in March, 1862; to brigadier-general, July 24, 1862, and to major-general, August 3, 1863. He was with the Army of Northern Virginia in all its campaigns. He was se- verely wounded in the battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864, and had three horses shot under him. In March, 1865, he was given command of the cavalry corps. Army of Northern Virginia, with which, in April, he surrendered to Gen. Meade, at Farm- ville, Virginia, and returned home, living in retirement several years. In 1874, on invi- tation, he attended the Bunker Hill Cen- tennial, and his speech on that occasion was one of the earliest efforts of leading men on either side to lay aside the asperities of the late conflict, and grow together in the old fraternal bonds. In 1886, at the Washing- ton Centennial celebration, New York City, at the head of the Virginia troops in the

parade, he received an ovation second to that accorded to no public man present. He was elected governor in 1885, serving until 1890, the constitutional provision alone preventing a re-election. In 1896 he was made consul-general at Havana, by Presi- dent Cleveland. During this service he had ample opportunity to distinguish himself by his calm but firm protection of American ir.terests, amid the ragings of the Cuban rising against the Spaniards. His life was threatened, and Americans were in constant danger. In this contingency he had full power to call war vessels from Key West, but did not resort to this method. When the government was obliged to send a war vessel, he cabled to the state department lecommending delay of such action, but the Maine had already sailed and was out of reach, and that ship was destroyed by a submarine explosion soon after her arrival against Americans in Cuba was very threat- ening. On March 5th Spain asked for the recall of Gen. Lee, which was refused, but on April 5th all American consuls were re- called, and Lee with many other American c'tizens, returned home. On the organiza- tion of troops, Gen. Lee was placed in com- mand of the Seventh corps, and though it was not called into active service, he was designated, in the event of military move- ments about Havana, to command oper- ations. Late in 1898 he was given com- mand of the artillery forces in the district of Havana, and later of the department of Cuba. He was author of the life of his uncle. Gen. Robert E. Lee, in a "Great Commander" series. He died in Washing- ton City, April 28, 1905.
 * -.t Havana. Following this, the feeling