LEE
LEE
and resolutions of the British Parliament, " but
that private correspondence sliould be conducted
between lovers of liberty in every province." In
1773 the Virginia assembly (Massachusetts took
similar action about the same date) appointed a
" Committee of Correspondence of which Mr.
Lee was a member, and in that capacity opened a
correspondence witii Samuel Adan)s, which re-
sulted in their lasting friendship. Mr. Lee was
elected a delegate to the first Continental con-
gress which met in Carpenters' Hall, Philadel-
phia, Pa., Sept. 4, 1774. He prepared the memo-
rial of congress to the people of British America,
urging them to join in the struggle for freedom,
and in the next congress he wrote their address
to the people of Great Britain. As chairman of
the committee he drew up the instructions of
congress to General "Washington upon his
assuming command of the army. On June 7,
1776, in accordance with the instructions of the
Virginia convention, and at the request of his
colleagues, he proposed the resolution for the in-
dependence of the colonies: " Resolved, that these
United Colonies are. and of right ought to be, free
and independent States, that they are absolved
from all allegiance to the Britisli Crown, and
that all political connection between them and
the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be,
totally dissolved," and the motion was seconded
by John Adams of Massachusetts and the discus-
sion upon its adoption continued until June 10.
He received word of the serious illness of his
wife, and left Philadelphia the same day to visit
her. Owing to his absence Mr. Jefferson was
appointed the same day chairman of the com-
mittee and the task of defending the motion fell
upon Mr. Adams, Mr. Jefferson not being a ready
speaker, Lee did not return until the Declara-
tion had been passed and signed and he then
added his signature to the instrument. He served
in the Continental congress, 1774-80 and 1784-87,
and was one of the signers of the Articles of Con-
federation in 1778. During the sessions of 1784
he was president of congress, being, it is said, the
unanimous choice of the delegates present. He
is said to have served upon nearly one hundred
committees during the .sessions of 1770-77. Mr.
Lee opposed the adoption of the constitution of
1787; in this opposition he was in agreement
with George 3Iason, Patrick Henry, Benjamin
Harrison, Thomas Jefferson and others in Vir-
ginia and many of the ablest patriots of the time
in other states. After the ratification of the con-
stitution he consented to serve as one of the
senators from Virginia, mainly for the purpose
of urging some amendments which he believed
to be needed and many of these he was instru-
mental in securing. After serving as U.S. sen-
ator in the 1st and 2d congresses, 1789-92, he re-
signed in 1792 and was succeeded by John Taylor.
During the first and second sessions of the 2d
congress he was president pro tempore of the
senate, April to November, 1782. Both branches
of the Virginia assembly gave him a vote of
thanks for liis patriotic services. He was twice
married, first to Anne Aylett by whom he had
two sons and two daughters, and secondly to
Mrs. Anne (Gaskins) Pinckard, by whom he had
two sons and three daughters. In the selection
of names for a place in the Hall of Fame for
Great Americans, New York university, made in
October, 1900, his was one of the thirty-seven
names in " Class M, Rulers and Statesmen," and
received three votes, his votes in the class ex-
ceeding those for Van Buren, Charles Carroll,
John J, Crittenden and Henrj- Wilson, and equal-
ling tliose for Robert R. Livingston and Stepiien
A. Douglass, He is the author of numeious
political pamphlets and his correspondence, with
memoirs by his grandson. Richard Henr}^ Lee,
was published in 1825, He died at Chantilly,
"Westmoreland county, Va,, June 19, 1794,
LEE, Richard Henry, educator, was born in "Westmoreland county, Va., June 23, 1794; eldest son of Ludwell and Flora (Lee) Lee; and grand- son of Richard Henry and Anne (A}-lett) Lee, and of Philip Ludwell and Elizabeth (Steptoe) Lee. He was graduated with the honors of his class at Dickinson college. Pa., in 1812, studied law and practised in Leesburg, Va. He was twice married, first to Mary Duncan Mahon, and secondly to Anna Eden Jordan of St. Mary's, Md, He was professor of languages in "Washing- ton college. Pa., 1833-37; and of belles-lettres, 1837-54, resigning April 25, 1854. In 1858 he took orders in the Protestant Episcopal church and was rector of Trinity church, "Washington, Pa., 1858-65. He is the author of: Memoirs of the Life of Richard Henry Lee (2 vols. , 1825): Life of Arthur Lee (2 vols. , 1829); Life of Harriet Preble (1856) . He died in "Washington, Pa., Jan. 3. 1805.
LEE, Robert Edward, soldier, was born at Stratford, "Westmoreland county, Va., Jan. 19, 1807; son of Gen. Henry (q. v.) and Anne Hill (Carter) Lee; grandson of Henry and Lucy (Grymes) Lee, and of Charles and Anne Butler (Moore) Carter, In 1811 Gen. Henry Lee re- moved his family from Stratford to Alexandria, Va,, and in that town Robert received his pre- paratory education, first at the academy under W. B. Leary, and subsequently at the high school of which Benjamin Hallowell, a Quaker, was head-master. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy, "West Point, second in his class in 1829, was commissioned 2d lieutenant of engineers and was assigned to duty in the engi- neer bureau, "Washington, which enabled him frequently to visit his mother in Alexandria. On
