Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/90

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

iiel and colonel ot engineers for his services, and returned to his home in Arlington. In 1848 he was ordered to Baltimore to con- struct defensive works, and he was super- intendent of the United States Military Academy, 1852-55. He was promoted lieu- tenant-colonel in February, 1855, and as- signed to the Second United States Cav- alry, Col. Albert Sidney Johnston. The regiment was stationed at Jefferson Bar- racks, Missouri, and in October was ordered to Fort ^lason, Texas, but Lee was de- tained on court-martial duty April, 1856, when he rejoined his regiment in Texas and was engaged in repressing Indian outbreaks until October, 1859. He then visited Ar- Imgton to settle the estate of his father-in- law, who had died in 1857, leaving him first executor of his will. On October 17, 1859, he received orders to report to the adjutant- general at Washington and was ordered to Harper's Ferry in command of three com- panies of United States marines to sup- press a threatened attack on the United States arsenal. He found the arsenal in the possession of a revolutionary party led by John Brown, numbering about forty-five men. Col. Lee called upon him through Lieut. J. E. B. Stuart, under a flag of truce, to surrender, which Brown refused to do un- less guaranteed safe conduct with his prison- ers and men across the river into Maryland and not to be pursued until his party had gained a point half a mile from the arsenal. This Lee refused, and at once opened an as- sault on the engine house on the arsenal grounds, in which seventeen whites and three negroes were taken prisoners at the point of the bayonet. Col. Lee had Brown and his wounded cared for in the arsenal by a sur- geon of the marine corps and afterward de-

livered them over to Judge Robert J. Ould, the United States district attorney. The prisoners were given over to the state courts, and tried and convicted on a charge of treason, murder and inciting insurrection among slaves, and the state militia sup- planted the United States troops as guard.

Col. Lee left Harper's Ferry, December 3 1859, and soon after rejoined his regi- ment at San Antonio, Texas, where he re- mained till ordered to Washington, where, March i, 1861, he reported to Lieut-Gen. Scott. Seven states had passed the ordi- nance of secession, and on February 4. 1861, formed "The Confederate States of Amer- ica." Lincoln would be inaugurated presi- dent, March 4, 1861, and Gen. Winfield Scott desired the advice of the officers of the L^iited States army. Col. Lee assured Gen. Scott that if Virginia seceded and the gov- ernment decided to coerce the states by military force, his sense of duty would oblige him to go with his state. On March lu, 1861, Col. Lee was made a member of the board to revise the "Regulations for the government of the United States army," and he filed the report of the board, April 18, 1861.

On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers and Virginia was called upon for her quota. This demand left Virginia no alternative, and the conven- tion passed the ordinance of secession by a very large vote. President Lincoln offered Col. Lee the command of the United States tv) a younger man than himself. This offer was made at army headquarters, through Francis Preston Blair, Sr., April 18, 1861. Col. Lee replied that he was opposed to se- cession and deprecated war. but that he
 * irni\-, which Gen. Scott wished to transfer