Charles Lee ( born Charles Lee ; February 6, 1732 - October 2, 1782 ) - British officer, later major general of the Continental Army . Initially, Lee participated in the Seven Years War and served in the British Army. After the war, he sold his officer patent and served in the Polish army of Stanislav II for some time. In 1773, Lee moved to America and bought property in Virginia . With the outbreak of the War of Independence in 1775, he volunteered to serve with rebel forces. He hoped to become commander of the Continental Army , but George Washington intercepted the appointment.
| Charles Lee | |
|---|---|
| English Charles Lee | |
 | |
| Nickname | "boiling water" |
| Date of Birth | February 6, 1732 |
| Place of Birth | Cheshire , England |
| Date of death | October 2, 1782 (50 years old) |
| A place of death | Philadelphia , PA |
| Affiliation |  United Kingdom USA |
| Type of army | and |
| Years of service | British Army: 1746-1763 Continental Army: 1775-1780 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Battles / wars | Seven year war
US War of Independence
|
In 1776, his troops repelled a British attempt to attack the port of Sullivan , which strengthened his position in the army and Congress . That same year, Charles Lee was captured by British cavalry and held captive until an exchange took place in 1778. Lee may have shared many secrets with the British. Subsequently, he was put on trial by the Americans, and then removed from service.
Content
- 1 Origin
- 2 Seven Years War
- 2.1 North America
- 2.2 Portugal
- 2.3 Poland
- 3 American Revolutionary War
- 3.1 Charleston
- 3.2 New York
- 4 Monmouth
- 5 End of career, demise and memory
- 6 In popular culture
- 7 notes
- 8 Literature
Origin
Charles Lee was born in Cheshire . He was the son of General John Lee and his wife Isabella Banbury. In his youth, he was sent to a school in Switzerland where he studied several languages. In 1746, at the age of fourteen, he returned to England. In the same year, his father, then colonel of the 55th Infantry Regiment, bought Charles the rank of ensign in his regiment.
The Seven Years War
North America
After completing his studies, Lee arrived at the service in his regiment in Ireland . In 1751, he bought a lieutenant's patent. In 1754, together with a regiment under the command of Edward Braddock , he was sent to North America during the Franco-Indian War . Lee was present at Braddock’s defeat at the Battle of Monongahel in 1755. During his stay in North America, he married a Mohawk woman. His wife bore him two twins. According to contemporaries, even then, Lee was distinguished by extremely high conceit and explosive temperament. It was his Indian father-in-law who gave him the nickname "boiling water" or "boiling water." [one]
In 1756, Lee acquired the patent of the captain of the 44th regiment. In 1757, he took part in an expedition against the French fortress of Louisburg . Later, in 1758, Lee participated in an unsuccessful attempt to assault Fort Ticonderoga , where he was seriously wounded in battle. After recovering, he took part in the capture of Fort Niagara in 1759 and Montreal in 1760 , which ended the British conquest of Canada .
Portugal
After some time, Lee returned to Europe, where he transferred to the 103rd Infantry Regiment as a major .
Subsequently, he became a lieutenant colonel of the Portuguese army. Under the command of Burgoyne, he fought in Portugal against the Spanish invasion in 1762 . He distinguished himself at Vila Velha .
Poland
The Portuguese campaign did not bring Charles the general rank, which he, in his own opinion, deserved. He remained a major, at the end of the war the regiment was disbanded, and Lee was dismissed for half the salary.
In 1765, he fought in Poland , served as the adjutant wing of King Stanislav II. He returned to England, but did not receive the desired promotion. In 1769 he again went to Poland, participated in the Russian-Turkish war . He fought in a duel , where he killed his opponent. Again he did not receive the general and returned to England again. In 1772 , although still retired, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel . Considering himself undervalued, finally disappointed in the British army, Lee decided to settle in America. He moved to the colonies in 1773 , and bought land in Virginia . He named his estate (in modern West Virginia ) Prato Rio.
American Revolutionary War
When it became clear that the war was approaching, Lee enlisted in the Continental Army, and finally received the rank of Major General . However, he thought that given his experience and past wars, he would be given the post of commander in chief . However, he did not see that he regarded the service as was customary in the British army: as a privilege granted to him from birth, a source of income and a high position. For example, he believed that once he joined the revolution and lost his estates in England, the Americans should compensate him. Not only that, according to a contemporary, “he believed that God had not created anything better than Charles Lee,” [2] and did not hesitate to talk about it. Certainly colorful and noticeable, he was rude, arrogant, and did not hide his habits of drunkenness and a wide life.
In the end, he was beaten by Washington , which did not have such a long track record, but was more capable, sober, already showing himself and most importantly, ready to serve without a salary, if only Congress would cover his expenses. After that, Lee felt for his commander only contempt, which he did not hide. Due to his colorful personality and behavior, he was considered by many (on both sides of the front) as an unofficial deputy of Washington, although this post was held by another general.
Charleston
Lee received the post of commander of the so-called. Canadian contingent of the Continental Army, but never entered into it. Instead, he took over the southern contingent. For the six months spent at this post, the British sent an expedition to Clinton and Parker against Charleston , which his troops repelled at the very beginning. Directly the defense of Fort Sullivan was commanded by Colonel Moultrie. However, the victory strengthened the position of Lee. In June, he was recalled to the main army.
New York
Upon arriving at the main army in New York , at the peak of his popularity, Lee received a seal of approval from Washington as well: the Independence Fort on the Hudson River was renamed Fort Lee. Along with General Sullivan, he became Washington's deputy and received a convoy (approximately equal to the division) in command. However, during the campaign, as the Continental Army retreats and defeats, taking advantage of the fact that Washington’s popularity is falling, Lee resumed intrigues in order to take the post of commander in chief. At the same time, he fulfilled his duties as commander with a tepid spirit - also a habit brought from the British army.
When New York fell, Lee commanded a detachment left north of the city. In winter, Washington set out to gather the still remaining army forces in a winter camp near Philadelphia , including ordering Lee to join him. Referring to circumstances, Lee brought his squad only to Morristown, just 25 miles from New York. While he was resting from military labors, his whereabouts became known to the loyalists , and on December 12, 1776, Lt. Col. Tarleton, with one company of light cavalry, took him by surprise in the inn. Lee was captured. [3] Sullivan appointed instead replaced the troops. Many believed that his captivity was a serious blow to the Americans. In fact, Washington was spared this problem. [four]
Lee remained in captivity until April 6, 1778 , when he was officially exchanged for Major General Prescott. His behavior in captivity did not like both the British and Americans. The latter believe that he betrayed military secrets. What happened exactly is unclear, but the correspondence indicates that he was trying to meet with General Howe , offered to show a way to defeat the Americans, but Howe did not want to see him. [5] Lee did not abandon his habits in captivity, for example, once in a letter he asked the Americans ".. to send my dogs, the company of which I had never needed before." [5]
Monmouth
During Clinton's departure from Philadelphia, Charles Lee was Washington's deputy and commanded the vanguard of the American army at the battle of Monmouth . He received this appointment not for distinction, but for seniority. He was instructed to bind Clinton with a frontal attack. However, he, believing himself to be in the minority (which it was), retreated directly to the orders of Washington. He publicly scolded him. Lee responded with bickering, disobedience, and was placed under arrest. He was later tried by a tribunal for disobeying a direct order and open disrespect for the senior commander, found guilty and suspended from service for a year.
End of career, demise and memory
Lee tried to reverse the verdict of the tribunal through Congress, but to no avail. After that, he went on to publicly attack Washington personally. As a result, a Washington subordinate, Colonel Lawrence, challenged him to a duel and wounded him in the side. Besides him, Lee received a few more calls. January 10, 1780 he was fired from service. He retired in Philadelphia, where he caught a fever and died on October 2, 1782 .
Fort Lee and several cities are named after him in the United States, including Lee ( Massachusetts ), Lee ( New Hampshire ) and Lee Town ( West Virginia ).
In popular culture
- He is the main opponent in the video game Assassin's Creed III . When creating the image of Charles Lee, the game partially used the true facts of his biography, however, the degree of historical authenticity is still small.
- He is a character in the Broadway musical Hamilton: an American Musical. He has his parts in the songs "Ten Duel Commandments", "Stay Alive".
- In the series "Turn: Washington Spies" is presented as a British spy in the ranks of the Continental Army.
Notes
- ↑ Marchant, Barbara Z. General Lee: a Disobedient Servent , in: Revolutionary War in Bergen County, ... p. 105.
- ↑ Fischer, ... p. 147.
- ↑ McCullough, ... p. 248.
- ↑ Fischer, ... p. 159.
- ↑ 1 2 Marchant, ... p. 109-110.
Literature
- Fischer, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing . Oxford University Press, New York, 2004. ISBN 0-19-517034-2
- McCullough, David. 1776 . Simon & Schuster, New York, 2006. ISBN 0-7432-2672-0
- The Revolutionary War in Bergen County: The Times That Tried Men's Souls / Carol Karels, ed. History Press, Charleston, 2007. ISBN 1-59629-358-8