(See HATCHER'S RUN; FORT STEDMAN ). Hav ing been made commander-in-chief of all the Confederate armies in February 1865, he deter mined to unite with Johnston and attack Sher man before Grant could reinforce him, but, on account of the poor condition of the roads and the lack of transportation facilities, Grant fore stalled him with his 101,000 infantry, 14,700 cavalry, 9,000 field artillery, and 369 guns at tacked Lee's army (46,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, 5,000 field artillery and 190 guns) at Dinwiddie Court House and White Oak Road (qq.v.) 30-31 March, and at Five Forks (q.v.) 1-2 April, inflicting a crushing defeat and caus ing him to retreat. Upon reaching Amelia Court House he found that his provisions had been sent in error to the capital, and so being unable to retreat or give battle with any degree of success, on 9 April, at Appomattox Court House, the Army of Northern Virginia surren dered. (See FARMVILLE and HmitatuDGE).
The number of men surrendered was about 27,000, but when the troops marched out to stack their arms hardly 8,000 were able to present themselves with muskets in their hands. When the time arrived for him to yield to the inevitable and surrender his splendid army, with whose courage and heroism the whole world was familiar, he was greater if possible than ever before. "When you return to your homes he said to his troops at Appomattox, "you will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faith fully performed, and I earnestly pray that our merciful God extend to you his blessing and protection?> Lee was now a private citizen for the first time in 40 years. He refused lucrative offers from all sides and sections. The legislature of Virginia, desiring to testify its appreciation of his services and character, directed the treasurer of the State to subscribe 100 shares of stock at a par value of $200 in a company organized for the improvement of the navigation of the James River and vest the same in Lee. He would receive the gift only on condition that he would be permitted to use it for the "educa tion of the poor, particularly the children of such as had fallen in defense of the country,> and he gave his stock 'to Liberty Hall Acad emy, in Rockbridge County, Va., afterward known as Washington College and tiow called Washington and Lee University (q.v.). Lee was offered the presidency of the college and at first declined; saying he was "an object of censure to a portion of the country and might draw upon the college a feeling of hostility.> 'I think it is the duty of every citizen he further added, "in the present condition of the country to do all in his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony and in no way to oppose the policy of the State or general government directed to that object> He finally accepted, however, saying that after what he had written if the board still thought his ser vices would be advantageous to the college and country he would yield to their judgment, and in October 1865 was installed. He con tinued to refuse highly remunerative positions because he preferred to continue the educa tional work he had undertaken. At last, how ever, the labor and exposure of his campaigns and responsibilities attendant to his position as president of the college brought bodily distress. In the spring of 1870 he was persuaded to go south for his health, but the steady progress of the disease could not be checked and his life work rapidly drew to a close. On the evening of 28 Sept. 1870 he was stricken with apoplexy from which he never recovered; he lingered on for a fortnight, breathing his last on the morning of 12 Oct. 1870. Early in the war Lee's home at Arlington, Va., had been seized by Federal troops and in January 1864 was purchased by the national government at a tax sale for $26,800, the Arlington National Cemetery being established there later in the same year. In 1868 G. W. C. Lee, one of the heirs under the Custis will, brought suit to test the validity of the sale to the government, and though the suit was barred in the Supreme Court, Congress in 1883 appropriated $150,000 to acquire an undisputed title.
Lee had for 63 years lived and moved among a people who will cherish his memory through succeeding generations, as long as the sun, moon and stars endure. He was a most remarkable man whether soldier or citi zen. From his earliest infancy to the hour of his death he was beloved by all classes — by all people, and the people of his native State of Virginia selected him as one of her two repre sentatives whose statues should be placed in the rotunda of the capitol at Washington.
Benjamin Hill, of Georgia, summed up Lee's character in splendid form when he said: "He was a foe without hate, a friend without treachery, a soldier without cruelty, and a victim without murmuring. He was a public officer without vices, a private citizen without wrong, a neighbor without reproach, a Chris tian without hypocrisy, and a man without guilt. He was Casar without his ambition, Frederick without his tyranny, Napoleon with out his selfishness, and Washington without his reward. He was as obedient to authority as a servant and royal in authority as a king. He was as gentle as a woman in life, pure and modest as a virgin in thought, watchful as a, Roman Vestal, submissive to law as Socrates, and $rand in battle as Achilles.> Bibliography.-Allan, W. M., 'The Army of Northern Virginia in 1862' (Boston 1892) ; 'The Correspondence of Gen. Robert E. Lee, Chancellorsville to Gettysburg> (in 'Southern Historical Society Papers,' Vol. XXVIII, pp. 148-155, Richmond 1900) ; Adams, C. F,, 'Lee at Appomattox and Other Papers' (Boston 1902) ; Bradford, Gamahel, 'Lee the American' (Boston 1912) ; Barnard, J. G., 'The Penin sular Campaign' (New York 1864) ; Bruce, P. A., 'Robert E. Lee' (Philadelphia 1907) ; 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (New York 1884-88) ; Cooke, J. E., 'Life of General Robert E. Lee' (New York 1871) ; Deering, 'Lee and His Cause> (New York 1907) vans, C. A., (ed.), 'Confederate Militaryry History' (Atlanta, Ga., 1899)_; Freeman, D. 5. (ed.), `Lee's Dispatches> (New York 1915) Lee, R. E., Jr., 'Recollections and Letters oit General Robert E. Lee> (New York 1909) Gilman, Bradley 'Robert E. Lee' (New York 1915) ; Hill, F. F., 'On the Trail of Grant and Lee> (New York 1911) ; Jones, J. W., 'Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee' (New York 1906), and 'Personal Reminiscences Anecdotes and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee> (New York 1876) ; Lee, Fitzhugh, 'General Lee> (New York 1894) ; Longstreet, H. D., 'Lee and L•on street at High Tide> (Gainesville, Ga., 1904); Long, A. L., 'Memoirs of Robert E. Lee' (New York 1887) Page, T. N., 'Robert E. Lee, Man and Soldier' KNeW York 1911), and 'Robert E. Lee, the outherner> (New York 1908) ; Pollard, E. A., 'The Early Life, Campaigns and Public Services of Robert E. Lee' (New York 1871) ; Shepherd, H. E., 'Life of Robert Edward Lee' (New York 1906) ; Stiles, R., 'Four Years under Marse Robert> (New York 1904) ; Taylor, W. H., 'General Lee, His Campaigns in Virginia, 1861 65' (Norfolk 1906) ; Trent, W. P., 'Robert E. Lee' (Boston 1899) White, H. A., 'Robert E. Lee and the Soutiiern Confederacy' (New York 1898) ; Webb, A. S., 'The Peninsula' (New York 1::1). FITZHUGH LEE, Revised by IRVING E. RIMES.
LEE, Samuel, English clergyman and Orientalist: b. Longnor, Shropshire, 14 May 1783; d. Barley, Hertfordshire, 16 Dec. 1852. He acquired Greek, Hebrew and a knowledge of Chaldee, Syriac, Samaritan, Persian and Hindu stani without instruction and was graduated from Queen's College, Cambridge, in 1818. He was appointed professor of Arabic at Cam bridge in 1819, held several parishes, was regius professor of Hebrew at Cambridge in 1831-48 and in 1838-52 he was rector of Barley. He was a linguist of rare attainments and was re puted to have mastered 18 languages. Author of (Nov= Testamentum Syriace) (1816) ; Wetus Testamentum Syriace> (1823) ; 'Gram mar of the Hebrew Language' (1830; 6th ed., 1844); 'Hebrew, Chaldee and English Lexicon' (1840), and numerous scholarly translations.
LEE, 'Samuel Philips, American naval of ficer : b. Sully, Fairfax County, Va., 13 Feb. 1812; d. Silver Springs, near Washington, D. C., 5 June 1897. He entered the navy as midshipman in 1825 and was promoted passed midshipman in 1831. He reached the rank of commander in 1855, and served on the board of examiners in 1858•60. He was assigned to blockade duty off the coast of South Carolina on the outbreak of the Civil War. He was appointed acting rear-admiral in 1862 and placed in command of the North Atlantic blockading squadron and perfected a blockad ing system by which the Confederacy was com pletely isolated. In 1864 he received command of the Mississippi squadron and mcoved up the Cumberland to the support of Hooker, keeping communications open and gaining a vote of thanks from Congress. He was promoted commodore in 1866 and rear-admiral in 1870, receiving at that time command of the North Atlantic squadron. He was retired 13 Feb. 1873. Author of 'The Cruise of the Dolphin' (Reports of the United States Navy Depart ment, 1854).