LEE, Nathaniel, English dramatic poet: b. Hatfield, about 1653; d. London, 1692. He was educated at Cambridge, turned his attention to the drama and in 1675 produced his tragedy of 'Nero,' and from that time to 1681 produced a tragedy yearly. From 1684 to 1688 he was insane and confined in Bethlehem Hospital, and after his discharge •two more tragedies of his were produced. He is the author of 11 plays, all of which were favorably received; but his natural fire and pathos were buried in a torrent of words and clouded by a tendency to "furious fustian and turgid rant? In his play, 'The Rival Queens) (1677), occurs the oft-quoted line: " When Greeks joined Greeks then was the tug of War " LEE, Richard Henry, American patriot: b. Stratford, Westmoreland County, Va., 20 Jan. 1732; d. Chantilly, Va., 19 June 1794. He was educated in England, but returned in 1752 to Virginia, where he soon became prominent in public affairs and was elected to the house of burgesses. In 1773 he became a member of the committee of correspondence to communicate with the other colonies, and in 1774 was a dele gate from Virginia to the first Continental Con gress. There he attracted attention by his eloquence and drafted the petition to the king. In the second Congress he prepared the address to the people of Great Britain. Both of these documents are remarkable state /papers. On 7 June 1776 he moved "that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and inde pendent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown; and that all connection between them and the states of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved? He was in the Virginia legislature in 1780-84, was elected president of Congress in 1784, in 1786 was again a member of the State legis lature and in 1787 also sat in Congress. Upon the adoption of •the Federal Constitution, to which he was opposed, he was elected one of the first two senators from Virginia and there remained, at first as an Anti-Federalist, until his resignation in 1792. He was one of the notable orators of his time. Consult Lee, R. H., this grandson), 'Me and Correspondence of R. H. Lee' (1825). His 'Letters' have been edited by J. C. Ballagh (Vols. I, II, New York 1910, 1914).
LEE, Robert, Scottish clerorman: b. Tweedmouth, England, 11 Nov. 1804; d. Tor quay, 14 March 1868. He was educated at Saint Andrew's University and in 1833 was elected minister of the Presbyterian chapel at Arbroath, Forfarshire. He was in charge of the parish of Campsie, Stirlingshire, in 1836-43, and from 1843 until his death was minister of the old Grayfriar's Church, Edinburgh. He also served as professor of biblical criticism and dean of the Chapel Royal at the University of Edin burgh from 1847. He was an earnest advocate of more graceful forms of worship within the Church of Scotland, working for the adorn ment of church edifices, •written prayers, the sanction of suitable postures and the introduc tion of instrumental music. He was respon sible for the installation of the first organ used in the national church, that at Grayfriars. in April 1864. In 1859 he was charged before the Presbytery of Edinburgh with unlawful innova tions, but he ably vindicated his action and defeated his accusers. Other actions followed and the case of his distribution of printed prayer books among his congregation was in progress at the time of his death. Author of 'The Holy Bible. With the Marginal Refer ences revised and improved' (1854; 2d ed., 1855) ; 'Prayers for Public Worship, with Ex tracts from the Psalter and other parts of Scripture) (1857) ; 'The Reform of the Church in Worship, Government and Doctrine' (Part I, 1864), etc. Consult Story, 'Life of Robert Lee' (2 vols., 1870).
LEE, Robert Edward, American soldier: b. Stratford, Westmoreland County, Va., 19 Jan. 1807; d. Lexington, Va., 12 Oct. 1870. His father, Gen. Henry Lee (q.v.), popularly known in the War for Independence as °Light Horse Harry," left his home at •Alexandria (whither he had moved in 1811), when Robert was only six years of age, for a sojourn in the West Indies, on account of his health. After being away nearly five years, he re turned, but the march of the fatal disease which had attacked him could not be resisted. When off the coast of Georgia, at his request he was put ashore on Cumberland Island and carried to the home of Mrs. Shaw, a daughter of Nathanael Greene, his old commander, where he died. Robert never saw his father after he left his home and was only 11 years old when he died. His mother was Anne Hill Carter.
Observant, respectful and dignified, the youth was reaching out for manhood over a route that might be used as a model for those who followed him. He obtained his early educa tion in good private schools in Alexandria, Va., and being sedate and studious, stood high in the estimation of his teachers and was be loved by all his comrades. At 18 the inherited instincts of his nature became aroused and he resolved to be a soldier. A cadetship at the United States Military Academy at West Point was obtained for him by Gen. Andrew Jackson, and the natural bent of his mind was confirmed. To all duties he gave his closest attention; to all studies his profound thought; to all military drills, evolutions, tactics, strat egy and commands, his perfect obedience. He became an officer in the cadet battalion at the proper time and was the adjutant of his class, when a first classman -- a post of honor in a cadet's aspiration. After many who first en tered the academy in his class had fallen by the wayside in the various examinations, semi annually held, 46 still remained to receive graduating diplomas. In 1829 Lee graduated
second in his class without having received a single demerit during his whole course of study, because he conscientiously discharged all the duties confided to him; convinced then as he said many years afterward, that "duty was the most sublime word in the English lan guage? He was at once commissioned brevet second lieutenant and was assigned to the engi neers corps, the "Scientific Corps of the Arm? as it was called, and won high reputation in that important branch of the service. On 30 June 1831, two years after leaving West Point, he married Mary Randolph Custis, daughter of G. W. P. Custis, who was a grandson of Mrs. George Washington, and thus became proprietor of Arlington on the Potomac and other estates. Five years after, in 1836, he was promoted to first lieutenant and two year.: later, in 1838, was made captain. In 1834 he became assistant to the chief engineer of the army in Washington and in 1837 took dharge of erecting works to protect Saint Louis from the erosion of the Mississippi. From 1841 to the outbreak of the Mexican War he was at Fort Hamilton in charge of the defenses of New York. During the Mexican War, the op portunity was presented for the first time to show the military mettle of the engineer officer, and Winfield Scott, when placed in command of the army to invade Mexico, constantly consulted with Lee, acted largely on his advice and mentioned him repeatedly in his official reports. Lee was responsible for the arrange ment of the batteries used to reduce Vera Cruz. In that campaign he made a reputation superior to all officers of his grade. He sur passed them in personal daring, scientific coun sels— a coup d'ceil of the battle-field—and for felicitous execution of orders. In the re connaissances before the victory of Contreras he especially distinguished himself, as was also the case at Chapultepec, where he was wounded. He was brevetted major at Cerro Gordo, 18 April 1847, lieutenant-colonel at Contreras and Churubusco and colonel at Chapultepec. His veteran commander said that his "success was largely due to the skill, valor and undaunted courage of Robert E. Lee," and that "if oppor, tunity offered, he would show himself the foremost captain of his time' At the close of the Mexican War his serv ices as an engineer were again demanded by the government and he was made a member of the board of engineers of the United States army, being employed at Baltimore from 1849 to 1852.in the construction of forts for harbor defense; 1 Sept. 1852 he was made superin tendent of the academy at West Point —a complimentary detail — and the school derived such benefit from his great ability and sagacious administration of its affairs that there was a general desire to retain him. Three years af terward, in 1855, the boundary lines of the United States having been extended, making it difficult to protect American citizens on the frontier, two new cavalry regiments were added to the three then in service and Lee was of fered the position of lieutenant-colonel of the 2d cavalry by Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War, and accepted, serving with his regi ment at various posts in western Texas and giving very efficient service in protecting the settlers from the depredations of the Coman dies and Indians. Lee was at Arling ton on a furlough to settle up the estate of his wife's father, Mr. Custis, when on 16 Oct. 1859 John Brown with a small force marched into arper's Ferry to liberate slaves and in augurate war between the whites and the blacks. No one then knew the limit of the aggressive action of Brown, but the War De partment knew that an officer of balanced judgment, combined with experience and cour age, should represent the government at that point. Lee was selected and he promptly re sponded to the summons to go to Harper's Ferry. His judicious plans to capture Brown were successful, and the latter's trial, convic tion and execution followed. Lee then re turned to Washington and in a short time was again on his way to resume his duties in Texas, 'having charge of the department of Texas until February 1861.
Though absorbed by the conscientious dis charge of his duties, Lee's letters show that he had noticed the increasing chasm between the northern and southern sections of the republic, and that the citizens thereof were ranging themselves upon their respective sides. Hon ing to the last that the diverging views could be brought together, Lee was at last face to face with the "irrepressible conflict* and could only consider on what side his sword, already famous should be drawn. *We are between a state of anarchy and civil war. May God avert us from both. I must be patient and wait the end, for I can do nothing to hasten or retard he said. al cannot anticipate a greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union he wrote in 1861. The plead ing of the veteran Scott, who said that Lee's services to the Union would be worth to it 50,000 men, and the long friendship of his comrades must be resisted; but beyond all, the command of the army of the United States, offered him on 18 April by President Lincoln, had to be respectfully set aside. His reply to Francis Preston Blair, who had been designated to approach him on the subject, is the key to his action. q declined the offer he made to me to take command of the army that was to be brought into the field, stating as candidly as I could, that though opposed to secession and deprecating war, I could take no part in an invasion of the Southern States.* His inability to accept forced a prompt resignation, which read: