General Charles Lee felt quite satisfied with himself as he accepted the congratulations of subordinate officers of his command and of the leading citizens of Charleston, South Carolina. It was June 28, 1776, and a semi-trained unit of soldiers in a makeshift fort had just defeated a fleet of battleships of the Royal Navy (see “The Lowly Palmetto Defeats the Royal Oak”). Actually, Lee had been dismissive of both the soldiers and their fort in the days leading up to the battle. As a professional soldier, a veteran of the British army, he had no respect for amateur soldiers or their ideas about fighting. But when an unexpected victory was won, Lee’s egotism knew no bounds and he willingly accepted credit for the accomplishment.
Charles Lee was born in Darnhall in the county of Cheshire, England. His father was a professional military officer, colonel of the 55th Infantry, and Charles was educated with a military career in mind. Lee became a low-ranking commissioned officer at age fifteen. When his father died, Charles purchased a commission as a lieutenant in the 44th Infantry and served with that regiment until it was sent to the American colonies to participate in the Seven Years’ War in 1754. In the colonies, this conflict was called the French and Indian War since most military activity was directed against the Indians. Lee was part of the command of General Edward Braddock when that general attempted to capture Pittsburgh (then called Fort Duquesne). Instead of capturing the fort, Braddock was badly defeated and most of his men killed or captured. George Washington was a soldier in this same expedition. One battle did not decide the war, however, and the British persisted. Achieving an alliance in Europe allowed more British soldiers to be sent to North America, and Canada came under attack. Lee fought in Nova Scotia at the capture of Louisbourg and this effort was very successful, helping to end the war with a British victory. One result of the victory was to make Canada a British possession and to transfer all the territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River from France to Britain. At some time during the war, Lee married a Native American woman whose name has not been preserved in the historical record, and they had twin sons whose names are also lost. When the war was over, Lee abandoned his American family.
Returning to Europe, Lee went to Portugal and helped the army of that nation oppose an invasion by the Spanish. By this time his rank was that of lieutenant-colonel. When peace was made between Britain and France, Lee pursued his military career by going to Poland and fighting for that country against Turkey. Part of his motive was a desire to gain more military experience, and part was financial; during peace time British officers received only half of their usual pay. Back in Britain in 1771, Lee found he was sympathetic to the arguments being made by the colonists against the British Parliament and he took action on his feelings by moving to Virginia where he purchased a large estate. This property is now in West Virginia.
When the Revolutionary War began, Lee offered his services to the Continental Congress, having resigned his commission in the British army. Lee was the best trained and most experienced officer in the developing Continental army and his ego demanded that he be recognized as such. He also felt that because his property in Britain had been seized by the government when he joined the Continental Army, he should be paid for his loss of income. At a time when the signers of the Declaration were pledging “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor,” this chasing of money did not sit well with many. It contrasted sharply with the attitudes of others such as George Washington, who had accepted the position of Commander in Chief without pay. Not surprisingly, Lee and Washington did not get along very well.
Lee was sent south where his forces won a victory at Charleston, and then was called back to the main army at New York where Fort Lee, on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, was named in his honor. When Washington was forced to abandon New York City following the Battle of Long Island, Lee kept his men separated from Washington’s men and wrote several letters to Congress trying to convince them that he should be in command of the army. While slowly making his way across New Jersey toward Washington’s new position, Lee left his men and, with a guard of only twelve cavalrymen, went to spend the night at White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. It was a common practice for high-ranking officers to seek comfortable quarters for themselves while leaving the men under their command to look out for themselves as best they could. Whether through information provided by a spy or through sheer good luck, a British cavalry patrol commanded by Banistre Tarleton (see “The Meanest Man in America”) surrounded the tavern, and captured General Charles Lee while he was still in his nightshirt.
The warning spread on the night before LEXINGTON AND CONCORD was “The Redcoats are coming.” To have said “The British are coming” would have made no sense because everyone in the colonies was considered British.
Lee spent the next two years as a prisoner of war in New York City, living in an apartment and attended by servants. He entertained British officers and offered them advice on how best to win the war. It is unclear how far Lee went in offering advice and information to the British but, in 1857, more than seventy years later, the publication of the papers of British General William Howe raised serious questions about the patriotism of Charles Lee.
Not knowing how close Lee had become to the British, he was included in an exchange of prisoners and returned to the Continental Army in 1778. Lee spent some time talking to members of the Continental Congress, trying to convince them to negotiate with a Peace Commission that the king had sent to try to end the war without recognizing the independence of the colonies. In the early summer of 1778, Lee rejoined the Army, commanding about a third of the troops. As the British retreated from Philadelphia, General Washington, and most of his officers, wanted to attack, believing that the training the Army had received at Valley Forge had made them the equal of the British (see “Cussin’ in German Does no Good”). Lee, still certain that citizen-soldiers could not fight, opposed any attack. When Washington ordered an advance on the British, Lee responded slowly and ordered a retreat at the first opportunity. Washington came on the field, ordered Lee to leave the scene, took command, and led the Continental Army in a stand-up, face-to-face slugging match with the British, which the Royal Army was glad to escape.
A few days later Lee was court-martialed and relieved of command. Because he had publically insulted General Washington, two of Washington’s friends challenged Lee to duels. Colonel John Laurens met Lee on the dueling ground and slightly wounded Lee. General Anthony Wayne then challenged Lee to fight, but Lee avoided that duel. He retired to his estate and spent the rest of the war offering advice— which no one took seriously—and trying to convince Congress to overturn the verdict in his court-martial. On a visit to Philadelphia, Lee contracted a fever that led to his death. His funeral was attended by many public officials and by General Washington. In his will, Lee stated that he should not be buried in a church yard, saying, “I have kept so much bad company while living that I do not choose to continue it when dead.”
Patriot? Traitor? Inconsistent? Perhaps all three? Charles Lee presents a strange case for those interested in the history of the Revolutionary War.
ABIGAIL ADAMS
NOVEMBER 22, 1744–
OCTOBER 28, 1818
The eighteenth century did not offer opportunities for women to engage in politics, but Abigail Adams did not let that stop her! Born the daughter of a minister, and accustomed to listening to men as leaders of the church, Abigail did not hesitate to speak her mind to her husband, John Adams. After marrying John Adams in 1764, she became a partner in managing the family finances and helped to make decisions about how the family farm should be run while her husband was away practicing law.
As the Revolutionary War approached in 1774, John was elected to the Continental Congress, and Abigail began to express her opinions about the larger issues facing the colonies. In her frequent letters to John, Abigail forcefully stated her belief that the new government that was emerging should provide equal rights for women. Although the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, our firstwritten basis of government, failed to recognize gender equality, Abigail Adams’ letters make her one of the earliest advocates of women’s equal rights.
John Adams would become the second president under the Constitution, and Abigail continued to promote her political ideas using as a forum her position as hostess at dinners and parties where the leaders of Congress gathered to discuss politics. She was so active in promoting the policies of the Federalist Party that she became known as “Mrs. President.” The Adamses tended to behave in a rather formal fashion in public and this was not always popular in a democratic nation with a rapidly growing frontier population, but Abigail took full advantage of the situation by jokingly calling herself “Lady Adams.” She did have a pragmatic side and showed that by having the family washing hung to dry in the unused East Room of the White House.