GOVERNORS OF THE STATE— 1861-1915
Lee, Fitzhugh, born at Clermont, Fair-
fax county, November 19, 1835, son of
Commodore Sydney Smith Lee, U. S. N.,
grandson of "Light Horse Harry Lee," and
nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee. After re-
ceiving an academical education he was ap-
pointed to the United States military acad-
emy in 1852, graduating in 1856, and was
commissioned second lieutenant of cavalry.
He was in active service against the In-
dians, and was severely wounded. In May,
i860, he was ordered to report at the United
States Military Academy as cavalry instruc-
tor, and was on this duty until the out-
break of the civil war when he resigned.
Entering the Confederate service, he was
commissioned first lieutenant of cavalry.
For four months he was adjutant-general
of Gen. Ewell's brigade. In August, 1861,
he was made lieutenant-colonel of the First
Virginia Cavalry, was promoted to colonel
in March, 1862; to brigadier-general, July
24, 1862, and to major-general, August 3,
1863. He was with the Army of Northern
Virginia in all its campaigns. He was se-
verely wounded in the battle of Winchester,
September 19, 1864, and had three horses
shot under him. In March, 1865, he was
given command of the cavalry corps. Army
of Northern Virginia, with which, in April,
he surrendered to Gen. Meade, at Farm-
ville, Virginia, and returned home, living in
retirement several years. In 1874, on invi-
tation, he attended the Bunker Hill Cen-
tennial, and his speech on that occasion was
one of the earliest efforts of leading men on
either side to lay aside the asperities of the
late conflict, and grow together in the old
fraternal bonds. In 1886, at the Washing-
ton Centennial celebration, New York City,
at the head of the Virginia troops in the
parade, he received an ovation second to
that accorded to no public man present.
He was elected governor in 1885, serving
until 1890, the constitutional provision alone
preventing a re-election. In 1896 he was
made consul-general at Havana, by Presi-
dent Cleveland. During this service he had
ample opportunity to distinguish himself by
his calm but firm protection of American
ir.terests, amid the ragings of the Cuban
rising against the Spaniards. His life was
threatened, and Americans were in constant
danger. In this contingency he had full
power to call war vessels from Key West,
but did not resort to this method. When
the government was obliged to send a war
vessel, he cabled to the state department
lecommending delay of such action, but the
Maine had already sailed and was out of
reach, and that ship was destroyed by a
submarine explosion soon after her arrival
- -.t Havana. Following this, the feeling
against Americans in Cuba was very threat- ening. On March 5th Spain asked for the recall of Gen. Lee, which was refused, but on April 5th all American consuls were re- called, and Lee with many other American c'tizens, returned home. On the organiza- tion of troops, Gen. Lee was placed in com- mand of the Seventh corps, and though it was not called into active service, he was designated, in the event of military move- ments about Havana, to command oper- ations. Late in 1898 he was given com- mand of the artillery forces in the district of Havana, and later of the department of Cuba. He was author of the life of his uncle. Gen. Robert E. Lee, in a "Great Commander" series. He died in Washing- ton City, April 28, 1905.
