LEE, RICHARD HENRY, an Amer ican statesman; born in Stratford, West moreland co., Va., Jan. 20, 1732. He re ceived part of his education in England, and after his return to his native coun try was chosen a delegate to the House of Burgesses from Westmoreland county. In the opposition to unjust British claims he played throughout a most important part. A delegate from Virginia to the first American Congress at Philadelphia (1774) be was at once recognized as a leader in that assembly. He drew up many addresses to the king and the English people. When war became in evitable Lee was placed on the vari ous committees appointed to organize re sistance. On June 7, 1776, he intro duced the motion finally breaking politi cal connection with Great Britain. In 1784 he was unanimously elected presi dent of the Congress, and when the Fed eral Constitution was established he en tered the Senate for his native State. In 1792 he retired into private life. He died in Chantilly, Va., June 19, 1794.
the Confederate army. He occupied himself with organizing his troops till May, 1862, when he superseded Gen. J. E. Johnston in the command of the army intrusted with the defense of Richmond, threatened by a formidable Union army under General McClellan. In the san guinary campaign that ensued, General Lee, aided by "Stonewall" Jackson, made a vigorous assault on McClellan's army, and succeeded, in a series of severe bat tles, known as the "Seven Days' Battles," in forcing it back from its position in front of Richmond. In August, of the same year, General Lee forced the Union army under General Pope to fall pre cipitately back upon Washington. The
campaigns he conducted in Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1862-1863 were, how ever, not so fortunate. After fighting a hotly-contested and drawn battle at An tietam, Sept. 17, 1862, Lee was obliged to retreat across the Potomac; and, though victorious in the first day's battle at Gettysburg (July 1, 1863), he met with a disastrous repulse two days after ward, and was again compelled to retire across the Potomac. Previous to this, however, General Lee had signally de feated General Burnside's army at Fred ericksburg, Dec. 12-16, 1862, and also defeated General Hooker at Chancellors ville, May 1-4, 1863. From August, 1863, till May, 1864, General Lee was en gaged in operations along the line of the Rappahannock, and fought a succession of desperate battles in the Wilderness, and from there S. to his old position be fore Richmond, during May, 1864. On Feb. 5, 1865, General Lee was appointed commander-in-chief of all the Confed erate armies in the field, and till April in that year held the defenses of Peters burg and Richmond, fighting several bat tles to retain them. On April 2 he was at last dislodged from his intrenchments by superior forces, compelled to retreat from Petersburg, and eventually to sur render himself and army to General Grant, April 9, after a long and gallant contest with his resolute and able adver sary. General Lee was installed presi dent of Washington College, Va., Oct. 2, 1865. He died in Lexington, Va., Oct. 12, 1870.