Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/401

 LEE

LEE

in England for the whole amount. He was com- missioned second inajor-general in the Continen- tal army in June, 1775, Artemas "Ward then in command of 16,000 New England men about Bos- ton, being made first major-general. That he did not obtain the chief place was largelj- due to the demands of Jolm Adams. The friends of Lee, notably Tliomas Mifflin, earnestly urged his claims, and when forced to second place, General Lee mercilessly ridiculed the military skill of General Ward. He was informed of his appoint- ment, July 19, 1875, but refused to accept until promised indemnity for any pecuniary loss he might suffer by accepting a commission in the Revolutionary army, and congress at once as- sented. On July 22 he resigned his commission and half-pay in the British army and joined "Washington in his journey to Cambridge, Mass., where he was placed in command of the left wing of the Continental army, with headquarters at Winter Hill. While there he opened a corre- spondence with Burgoyne looking to a conference with a view to a settlement of the difficulties be- tween the British ministry and the colonies, but the Provisional congress of Massachusetts, whose troops at the time constituted the entire army, put a stop to the project. When Sir Henry Clin- ton left Boston on his southern expedition, Gen- eral Lee was sent to Newport, R.I.. and in Jan- uary, 1776, proceeded to New York, where he directed the fortifying of the harbor. Whun the news of the death of Montgomery at Quebec readied Philadelpliia General Lee was made com- mander of the army in Canada, but when Clin- ton's destination was found to be the Southern states, Lee was transferred to the command of tlie Department of the South, and in March, 1776, went from New York to "^'irgiuia, where he or- ganized the cavalry and advocated a speedy Dec- laration of Independence. He reached Charles- ton. S.C., with his army, June 4, 1776, the same day the British fleet entered the harbor with the troops of Clinton and Cornwallis. General Moul- trie had constructed a fort of palmetto wood on Sullivan's island which Lee proposed to abandon as indefensible, but through the efforts of Presi- dent Rutledge the fort was garrisoned, and in the battle of June 28, 1776, Moultrie prevented the British fleet from making a landing, and Lee was given the credit of the victory and became pop- ularly known as the " Hero of Charleston." He then proposed to invade Florida, but congress or- dered him to report to Philadelphia, where he re- ceived $30,000 indemnity for losses by the seques- tration of his property in England and the protest of his drafts on his English agent given to Robert Morris. Lee arrived in New York. Oct. 14, 1776, and assumed command of the ritcht wing of the army then stationed on Harlem Heights. The ac-

ceptance of the resignation of General Ward in May, 1776, made Lee senior major-general. On Nov, 16, 1776, the British captured Fort Washing- ton, and forced Washington to defend Philadel- phia, Washington had left Lee with 7000 men in Westchester county with instructions to move as directed, and when ordered to cross the Hudson and join Washington's army in New Jersey. Lee failed to obey. Washington was therefore forced to fall back to Princeton with 3000 men, which place he reached, Dec. 2. 1776. and the same day Lee moved across the river and encamped at Mor- ristown with 4000 men. General Schuyler had sent Gates from Ticonderoga with seven regi- ments to reinforce Washington, but Lee diverted the march and detained three of the regiments at Morristown, AVashington was consequently forced back across the Delaware river into Penn- sylvania. This situation gave Lee the opportunity he desired and he industriously circulated reports of Washington's military incapacity. Holding a strong position at Morristown, he planned to fall upon the flank of Howe's army and if possible secure a victory that would give him the com- mand of the American army. On Dec. 13, 1775, a party of British dragoons surprised him at his headquarters at Baskingridge, four miles from liis camp at Morristown, and made Lee with his staff, prisoners, carrying them to New York city. General Sullivan, second in command, promptly broke camp at Morristown and reached Washing- ton's army in time to take part in the successful movements upon Trenton and Princeton. General Lee was refused the privileges of a prisoner of war, and was ordered to be sent to England for trial as a deserter. Washington, to prevent this, wrote to General Howe that he held five Hessian field-officers as hostages for General Lee's per- sonal safety, and on Dec. 12, 1777, Lee was de- clared a prisoner of war subject to exchange. It is now known that during his imprisonment in New York he planned a campaign against the American army, which he claimed would result in the easy subjugation of the colonies, the iden- tical plan, dated March 29, 1777, being discovered among the private papers of the Howes in 1857. These papers were obtained in Nova Scotia and secured at a sale in New York. He was ex- changed in May, 1778, and jomed Washington at Valley Forge. In June, when it was found tliat Sir Henry Clinton planned to retreat from Phila- delphia across New Jersey to New York, Wash- ington determined to oppose his march. General Lee advised against risking a battle, and his op- position was so determined that Washington ap- pointed Lafayette to the command of Lee's divi- sion. L'pon finding Washington so determined. Lee solicited restoration to the command and Lafayette yielded, when Washington repeated his