50-734: Henry Lee III (January 29, 1756 – March 25, 1818) was an early American Patriot and politician who served as the ninth Governor of Virginia and as the Virginia Representative to the United States Congress. Lee's service during the American Revolution as a cavalry officer in the Continental Army earned him the nickname by which he is best known, "Light-Horse Harry". He was the father of Confederate general Robert E. Lee , who led
100-584: A crowd of 4,000 as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." From 1799 to 1801, he served in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Federalist Party . After retiring from public service in 1801, he lived with his family at Stratford Hall and unsuccessfully tried to manage his plantation. The Panic of 1796–1797 and bankruptcy of Robert Morris reduced Lee's fortune. In 1808, he
150-580: A detachment on a raid on a British fort, culminating in the Battle of Paulus Hook in New Jersey on August 19, in which 50 enemy soldiers were killed or wounded and 158 captured, while the Americans suffered two dead, three wounded and seven captured. (Despite his success, some of his fellow officers saw to it he was brought before a court martial on eight charges, over George Washington's disapproval; he
200-471: A great reputation as a capable leader of light troops. At the time, highly mobile groups of light cavalry provided valuable service not only during major battles but also by conducting reconnaissance and surveillance, engaging the enemy during troop movements, disrupting the delivery of supplies, raiding and skirmishing, and organizing expeditions behind enemy lines; part of such tactics now are known as guerrilla warfare and maneuver warfare . In August, Lee led
250-591: A legal career. With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, Lee became a captain in a dragoon detachment in the Colony of Virginia , which was attached to the 1st Continental Light Dragoons . In 1778, Lee was promoted to major and given the command of a mixed corps of cavalry and infantry known as Lee's Legion , with which he won
300-472: A minority, however, fled the nation for Canada , Great Britain , Florida , or the West Indies . Historians have explored the motivations that pulled men to one side or the other. Yale historian Leonard Woods Labaree used the published and unpublished writings and letters of leading men on each side, searching for how personality shaped their choice. He finds eight characteristics that differentiated
350-666: A small cemetery at Dungeness. In 1913, his remains were moved to the Lee family crypt at University Chapel , on the campus of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia . Between April 8 and 13, 1782, at Stratford Hall , Lee married his second cousin, Matilda Ludwell Lee (1764–1790), who was known as "the Divine Matilda". She was the daughter of Philip Ludwell Lee Sr. and Elizabeth Steptoe. Matilda had three children before she died in 1790: On June 18, 1793, Lee married
400-633: Is a noted historic landmark in the state of South Carolina. Fort Pickens in Florida is named in his honor. Also named after him are Pickens County in Alabama; Georgia ; and South Carolina . There is also a city of Pickens, South Carolina . He is the namesake of Pickens High School . His Hopewell plantation is now owned and maintained by Clemson University. Pickens was a 7th great-grandfather of former US senator and 2004 presidential candidate John Edwards . Pickens and his actions served as one of
450-539: Is buried at Old Stone Church Cemetery in Clemson, South Carolina . Pickens was an uncle (through his marriage to Rebecca Florida Calhoun) to John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), who was a leading American politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun's home, Fort Hill , is now located on the campus of Clemson University in Pickens County, South Carolina. It
500-698: Is reportedly a name based on a well-regarded previous chief of the Cherokee. At the end of the war, Pickens was elected to public office in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1781 to 1794. He was a South Carolina delegate to the Constitutional Convention . Pickens was later elected to the Third Congress , served from 1793 to 1795 as an Anti-Administration member, opposing the policies of US Secretary of
550-532: The Battle of Cowpens , Siege of Augusta , Siege of Ninety-Six , and the Battle of Eutaw Springs . Pickens also led a campaign in north Georgia against the Cherokee late in the war; they had allied with the British in an effort to expel European Americans from their territory. His victorious campaign resulted in the Cherokee ceding significant portions of land between the Savannah and Chattahoochee rivers in
SECTION 10
#1732775884495600-584: The Georgia border. He married Rebecca Calhoun there and they started a family. In addition to meeting other ethnic Scots-Irish and new immigrants to the area, he became acquainted with his Cherokee neighbors. He built a blockhouse as a base for training. He established the Hopewell Plantation on the east side of the Keowee River . Several treaty negotiating sessions were held here with
650-473: The Long Swamp Treaty , signed in what is currently Pickens County, Georgia . Pickens led a detached militia of 25 men to battle against a Cherokee force of an estimated 150 men in what came to be called the "Ring Fight." Pickens gained the respect of these Natives. After the war, he was well-regarded by Native Americans that he dealt with; he was given the name Skyagunsta , "The Wizard Owl," which
700-640: The Thirteen Colonies called themselves "Whigs" after 1768, identifying with members of the British Whig party who favored similar colonial policies. Samuel Johnson writes that at the time, the word "patriot" had a negative connotation and was used as a negative epithet for "a factious disturber of the government". Prior to the Revolution, colonists who supported British authority called themselves Tories or royalists , identifying with
750-632: The colonial era , and supported and helped launch the American Revolution that ultimately established American independence. Patriot politicians led colonial opposition to British policies regarding the American colonies, eventually building support for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence , which was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. After the American Revolutionary War began
800-734: The Army of Northern Virginia against the Union Army during the American Civil War. Lee was born on Leesylvania Plantation in Prince William County in the Colony of Virginia . He was the son of Col. Henry Lee II (1730–1787) of " Leesylvania " and Lucy Grymes (1734–1792). His father was the first cousin of Richard Henry Lee , twelfth President of the Continental Congress . His mother was an aunt of
850-760: The Army shortly after, claiming fatigue and disappointment with his treatment from fellow officers. From 1786 to 1788, Lee was a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation . In 1788, he served in the Virginia convention and supported ratifying the United States Constitution . From 1789 to 1791, he served in the Virginia General Assembly , and from 1791 to 1794, he was Governor of Virginia . A new county of Virginia
900-544: The Cherokee. Each resulted in a Treaty of Hopewell . Just across the river was the Cherokee town of Isunigu , also known as "Seneca". A religious man, Pickens was known as the "Fighting Elder" because of his strong Presbyterian faith. Pickens served in the Anglo-Cherokee War in 1760–1761. When the Revolutionary War started, he sided with the rebel militia and was made a captain . He rose to
950-567: The Loyalist position, while those who were offended by British responses to actions such as the Boston Tea Party became patriots. Merchants in the port cities with long-standing financial attachments to Britain were likely to remain loyal, while few patriots were so deeply enmeshed in the system. Some Loyalists, according to Labaree, were "procrastinators" who believed that independence was bound to come some day, but wanted to "postpone
1000-569: The Society of the Cincinnati, Original, Hereditary and Honorary; With a Brief Account of the Society's History and Aims (New York: T.A. Wright, 1929) page 93. Patriot (American Revolution) Patriots , also known as Revolutionaries , Continentals , Rebels , or Whigs , were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who opposed the Kingdom of Great Britain 's control and governance during
1050-677: The Thirteen Colonies prior to the American Revolution, the issue divided patriots, with some supporting its abolition while others espoused proslavery thought . The patriots included members of every social and ethnic group in the colonies, though support for the patriot cause was strongest in the New England Colonies and weakest in the Southern Colonies . The American Revolution divided
SECTION 20
#17327758844951100-886: The Treasury Alexander Hamilton . He was one of nine representatives, and the only representative of the Anti-Administration party, to vote against the Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution . Pickens married Rebecca Floride Calhoun in 1765. They had 12 children: Mary Pickens (1766–1836); Ezekiel Pickens (1768–1813), Ann Pickens (1770–1846), son (1772), Jane Pickens (1773–1816); Margaret Pickens (1777–1830); Andrew Pickens, Jr. (1779–1838), son (1782); Rebecca Pickens (1784–1831); Catherine Pickens (1786–1871) and Joseph Pickens (1791–1853). Ezekiel Pickens
1150-401: The colonial population into three groups: patriots, who supported the end of British rule, loyalists , who supported Britain's continued control over the colonies, and those who remained neutral. African Americans who supported the patriots were known as Black Patriots , with their counterparts on the British side being referred to as Black Loyalists . The critics of British policy towards
1200-622: The fictional character of Colonel Harry Burwell in the 2000 film The Patriot was inspired by the historical exploits of Henry Lee. In the 1969 musical 1776 , Lee's nickname is mentioned (anachronistically) during the song "The Lees of Old Virginia," sung by the character of his older cousin Richard Henry Lee . Henry Lee III was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia. William Sturgis Thomas, Members of
1250-575: The formal beginning of the American Revolution , many patriots were active in groups, including the Sons of Liberty . The most prominent patriot leaders are referred to today as the Founding Fathers , who are generally defined as the 56 men who, as delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia signed the Declaration of Independence . Patriots included a cross-section of
1300-829: The larger British force of 700–800 men under Colonel Boyd at the Battle of Kettle Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia , just south of the Long Canes. His victory at Kettle Creek slowed the recruitment of the Loyalists . However, when the British defeated the Southern Continental Army in 1780 in the Siege of Charleston , Pickens surrendered a fort in the Ninety-Six District . He, along with his 300 militia men, on parole oath, agreed to sit out
1350-416: The moment", while the patriots wanted to "seize the moment". Loyalists were cautious and afraid of anarchy or tyranny that might come from mob rule; patriots made a systematic effort to take a stand against the British government. Finally, Labaree argues that Loyalists were pessimists who lacked the patriots' confidence that independence lay ahead. The patriots rejected taxes imposed by legislatures in which
1400-825: The onset of the War of 1812 but without success. In 1812 he published his Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States , where he summarized his military experiences during the Revolutionary War . During the civil unrest in Baltimore, Maryland in 1812 , Lee received grave injuries while helping to resist an attack on his friend, Alexander Contee Hanson , editor of the Baltimore newspaper, The Federal Republican on July 27, 1812. Hanson
1450-557: The period of " salutary neglect " before the French and Indian War . Some radical patriots tarred and feathered tax collectors and customs officers, making those positions dangerous; according to Benjamin Irvin, the practice was especially prevalent in Boston where many patriots lived. Andrew Pickens (congressman) Andrew Pickens (September 13, 1739 – August 11, 1817)
1500-704: The political philosophy of traditionalist conservatism as it existed in Great Britain. During the American Revolution , these persons became known primarily as Loyalists . Afterward, some 15% of Loyalists emigrated north to the remaining British territories in the Canadas . There they called themselves the United Empire Loyalists . 85% of the Loyalists decided to stay in the new United States and were granted American citizenship. Prior to
1550-468: The population of the Thirteen Colonies and came from varying backgrounds. Roughly 40 to 45 percent of the White population in the Thirteen Colonies supported the patriots' cause, between 15 and 20 percent supported the Loyalists , and the remainder were neutral or kept a low profile regarding their loyalties. The great majority of Loyalists remained in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution;
Henry Lee III - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-575: The rank of brigadier general in the South Carolina militia during the war. He emerged as a military leader in Long Cane , fighting against the Cherokee who had allied with the Loyalists. In the year 1779 Henry Clinton deployed British soldiers to both South Carolina and North Carolina to encourage Loyalist support. On February 14, 1779, Colonel Pickens and his 300-man militia overtook
1650-746: The rank of general, for the Legion's actions during the Battle of Paulus Hook. Lee was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was assigned with his Legion to the southern theater of war. Lee's Legion attacked a British outpost at Georgetown, South Carolina along side General Francis Marion in January 1781 and helped screen the British Army in its race to the Dan River the following month. Lee united with General Francis Marion and General Andrew Pickens in
1700-403: The spring of 1781 to capture several British outposts in South Carolina and Georgia, including Fort Watson , Fort Motte , Fort Granby , Fort Galphin , Fort Grierson , and Fort Cornwallis . Lee and his legion also served at the Battle of Guilford Court House , the Siege of Ninety-Six , and the Battle of Eutaw Springs . He was present at Charles Cornwallis 's surrender at Yorktown but left
1750-646: The taxpayer was not represented. " No taxation without representation " was their slogan, referring to the lack of representation in the British Parliament. The British countered that there was "virtual representation" in the sense that all members of Parliament represented the interests of all the citizens of the British Empire. Some patriots declared that they were loyal to the king, but they insisted that they should be free to run their own affairs. In fact, they had been running their own affairs since
1800-474: The two groups. Loyalists were older, better established, and more likely to resist innovation than the patriots. Loyalists felt that the Crown was the legitimate government and resistance to it was morally wrong, while the patriots felt that morality was on their side because the British government had violated the constitutional rights of Englishmen. Men who were alienated by physical attacks on Royal officials took
1850-562: The war. Pickens's parole did not last, however. After Tory raiders destroyed most of his property and frightened his family, he informed the British that they had violated the terms of parole. He rejoined the war. During this period, Pickens joined Francis Marion (known as the Swamp Fox) and Thomas Sumter as the most well-known partisan leaders in the Carolinas. Sumter also resumed fighting under similar circumstances. He saw action at
1900-616: The wealthy Anne Hill Carter (1773–1829) at Shirley Plantation . Anne was the daughter of Charles Carter, Esq. , of Shirley, and his wife Ann Butler Moore. According to Winston Fontaine's research, Anne Moore's paternal pedigree dates back to Sir Thomas More . Her mother, Anne Katherine, was the daughter of Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood , who was the great-grandson of John Spotswood and Rachel Lindsay; Rachelle's ancestors were David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford , and Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of King Robert II of Scotland . They had six children: According to screenwriter Robert Rodat ,
1950-471: The wife of Virginia Governor Thomas Nelson Jr. His great-grandmother Mary Bland was also a grand aunt of President Thomas Jefferson . Lee was the grandson of Henry Lee I (1691–1747), a great-grandson of Richard Bland , and a great-great-grandson of William Randolph . He was also a descendant of Theodorick Bland of Westover and Governor Richard Bennett . Lee graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University ) in 1773 and began pursuing
2000-439: The year before, in 1775, many patriots assimilated into the Continental Army , which was commanded by George Washington and which secured victory against the British Army , leading the British to acknowledge the sovereign independence of the colonies, reflected in the Treaty of Paris , which led to the establishment of the United States in 1783. The patriots were inspired by English and American republican ideology that
2050-444: Was a militia leader in the American Revolution . A planter and slaveowner, he developed his Hopewell plantation on the east side of the Keowee River across from the Cherokee town of Isunigu (Seneca) in western South Carolina. He was elected as a member of the United States House of Representatives from western South Carolina . Several treaties with the Cherokee were negotiated and signed at his plantation of Hopewell. Pickens
Henry Lee III - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-403: Was acquitted on all counts.) In September of the same year, Lee commanded a unit of dragoons which defeated a Hessian regiment at the Battle of Edgar's Lane . During his time as commander of the Legion, Lee earned the moniker of "Light-Horse Harry" for his horsemanship. On September 22, 1779, the Continental Congress voted to present Lee with a gold medal, an honor given to no other officer below
2150-497: Was affected. His observed symptoms were consistent with what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder . After an unsuccessful recovery at home, he sailed to the West Indies to recuperate from his injuries. On his way back to Virginia, he died on March 25, 1818, at Dungeness , on Cumberland Island , Georgia, cared for by Nathanael Greene 's daughter Louisa. "Light-Horse Harry" was buried with full military honors, provided by an American fleet stationed near St. Marys, Georgia , in
2200-566: Was attacked by a Democratic-Republican mob because his paper opposed the War of 1812 . Lee, Hanson, and two dozen other Federalists had taken refuge in the paper's offices. The group surrendered to Baltimore city officials the next day and was jailed. Laborer George Woolslager led a mob that forced its way into the jail and removed the Federalists, beating and torturing them over the next three hours. All were severely injured, and one Federalist, James Lingan , died. Lee suffered extensive internal injuries and head and face wounds, and even his speech
2250-504: Was born in 1739 in Bucks County in the Province of Pennsylvania . He was the son of Scots-Irish immigrants, Presbyterians of primarily Scottish ancestry from Carrickfergus in County Antrim , Ireland (in what is today Northern Ireland .) His parents were Andrew Pickens Sr. and Anne ( née Davis). But his paternal great-grandparents were ethnic French Huguenots : Robert Andrew Pickens (Robert André Picon) had migrated to England and Northern Ireland; his wife Esther-Jeanne, widow Bonneau,
2300-429: Was elected as lieutenant governor of South Carolina, serving from 1802 to 1804. His younger brother Andrew Pickens, Jr. also went into politics; he was elected as governor of South Carolina , serving 1817–1819. A grandson was Francis Wilkinson Pickens , who was also elected as governor of South Carolina, serving from 1860 to 1862. Pickens died near Tamassee, South Carolina , in Oconee County , on August 11, 1817. He
2350-494: Was from La Rochelle, France and had settled in South Carolina along with other Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution as Protestants. His family traveled the Great Wagon Road in the Shenandoah Valley in hopes of finding a new home. Records show they first settled in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. In 1752, his family moved to the Waxhaws on the South Carolina frontier. Pickens sold his farm there in 1764 and bought land in Abbeville County, South Carolina , near
2400-466: Was named after him during his governorship. In 1794, President George Washington summoned Lee to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. Lee commanded the 12,950 militiamen sent to quash the rebels; there was no fighting because of a peaceful surrender. In 1798, in anticipation of a war with France, Henry Lee was appointed a major general in the U.S. Army . At Washington's funeral on December 26, 1799, Lee famously eulogized him to
2450-446: Was part of the Age of Enlightenment , and rejected monarchy and aristocracy and supported individual liberty and natural rights and legal rights . Prominent patriot political theorists such as Thomas Jefferson , John Adams , and Thomas Paine spearheaded the American Enlightenment , which was in turn inspired by European thinkers such as Francis Bacon , John Locke , and Jean-Jacques Rousseau . Though slavery existed in all of
2500-411: Was recommissioned by President Thomas Jefferson as major-general when war with Great Britain was imminent; Lee organized the Virginia militia. In 1809, he became bankrupt and served one year in debtors' prison in Montross, Virginia ; his son, Robert Lee, was two years old at the time. After release, Lee moved his family to Alexandria, Virginia . He asked President James Madison for a commission at
#494505