Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/416

 LEE

LEE

mand the North Atlantic blockading squadron. He originated a system of blockading cruisers by which the Confederacy was completely isolated and fifty-four blockade running steamers were captured. He was detached, Oct. 21, 1864, and ordered to command the Mississippi squadron, co-operating witii the army of Thomas in its oper- ations against Hood on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. For his service in this cam- paign, Lee received a vote of thanks from con- gress. He was detached from the Mississippi squadron, Aug. 14, 1865, and promoted commo- dore, July 25, 1866. He was president of the board to examine volunteer officers for admission into the regular navy, 1868-69; president of the court martial held in New York city. May 29, 1868; a member of the board of examiners of the Atlantic navy yards, and was put in charge of the signal service at Washington, D.C., Oct. 13, 1869. He was promoted rear-admiral, April 22, 1870; was ordered on special duty at the navy department at Washington, D.C., June 27, 1870, and commander of the North Atlantic squadron from Aug. 9, 1870, to Aug. 15, 1862, when he was detached. He was retired, Feb. 13, 1873. He is the author of: The Cruise of the Dolphin, pub- lished in the " Reports " of the U.S. navy de- partment (1854) and a report on the condition of the Atlantic navy yards (1869). He died at Silver Springs, near Washington, D.C., June 5, 1897.

LEE, Silas, representative, was born in Con- cord, Mass., July 3, 1760; son of Dr. Joseph and Lucy (Jones) Lee and greats-grandson of John and Mary (Hungerford) Leigh, who settled in Ips- wich, Mass., about 1634. He was graduated from Harvard college in 1784; was a practising at- torney in Biddeford, Maine, in 1788, and at Pown- alborough, 1789-1814. He was a representative in the Massachusetts legislature, 1793-98; and in the 6th and 7th U.S. congresses, 1799-1802. He resigned in 1802, having been appointed district attorney for the Maine district by President Jef- ferson in 1801, although opposed to him politic- ally, and he held this office until his death. He was justice of the peace and quorum in 1803; judge of the probate court, 1804-14, and chief justice of the court of common pleas, 1810. He died in Wiscasset, Maine, March 1, 1814.

LEE, Stephen Dill, soldier and educator, was born in Charleston, S.C, Sept. 22, 1833; son of Thomas and Caroline (Alison) Lee, grandson of Judge Thomas and Kezia (Miles) Lee, and great- grandson of William Lee, a leading citizen of Charleston, who was confined in the prison ship, and transferred to St. Augustine, Fla., by the the British during the American Revolution. Stephen Dill Lee was graduated at the U.S. Military academy in 1854. and promoted 2d lieutenant, 4th U.S. artillery; was promoted 1st

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lieutenant, Oct. 31, 1856; served in the Seminole war, 1856-57; was api^ointed assistant adjutant- general of the Department of Florida, August, 1857; served as (quartermaster of the 4th artil- lery, 1857-61, and was on frontier duty, 1857-01. He resigned his com- mission, Feb. 20, 18- 61, and was appoint- ed a captain in the South Carolina army. He was aide-de-camp to General Beaure- gard, and prior to the bombardment of Fort Sumter, in company with Col. James Chest- nut, he carried the formal demand to Major Anderson for the surrender of the fort. He served as quartermaster, com- missary, engineer officer, and distributing of- ficer for the army in Charleston; was com- missioned captain in the Confederate States army, and was given command of the light bat- tery of Hampton's South Carolina legion. He was promoted successively major, lieutenant- colonel and colonel of artillery, and participated in the Peninsula campaign, in the battles of Seven Pines, Savage's Station and Malvern Hill. He commanded a battalion of artillery in Lee's army during the campaign against Pope, a battalion at the second battle of Manassas, and at Sharps- burg. He was commissioned brigadier-general for gallantry at the battle of Sharpsburg, Nov. 6, 1863; commanded the garrison and batteries at Vicksburg, Miss., 1862-63; was in command of the provisional division at Chickasaw Bluffs, and repelled the attack made by General Sherman's army, with one brigade of the Vicksburg garri- son, Dec. 28-29, 1862. He had command of the entire line from Vicksburg to Snyder's Mill. At the battle of Champion Hills, May 16, 1863, his brigade in Stephenson's division bore the brunt of the battle, and nearly half of his men were killed, wounded or prisoners. In the siege of Vicksburg a part of his brigade was driven from their intrenchments in the assault by Grant, May 22, 1863, but recovered the position before the close of the day, and after the fall of Vicksburg he was exchanged and promoted major-general, Aug. 3, 1863. He was in command of the cavalry forces in Mississippi. West Tennessee, Alabama and East Louisiana. While in command of cav- alry he organized several regiments. He was in command at the battle of Tupelo, Miss., July 14, 1864, where with about 6000 cavalry and dis- mounted men he fought a drawn battle with a