Charles Lee
Charles Lee was a significant, yet controversial figure in American Revolutionary history, born in England to Irish parents as the youngest of seven children. He began his military career at a young age, becoming an ensign at just twelve, and had extensive combat experience, including his participation in the French and Indian War. Lee eventually immigrated to Virginia and became a proponent of American independence, serving under George Washington in the Continental Army. However, his military career was marred by incidents of disobedience and disrespect towards his superiors, culminating in a court-martial and a year-long suspension from command after he failed to follow orders during the Battle of Monmouth.
Lee's actions, including a controversial plan submitted during his time as a British prisoner, raised questions about his loyalty and intentions. Over time, he became known for his self-serving attitude and turbulent relationships with fellow officers, particularly Washington. Although he had the potential to shape the Revolutionary War significantly, his legacy is often overshadowed by his failures and the perception that he acted mainly in his own interest. Lee's life is a complex narrative of military ambition and personal downfall, which invites reflection on the values of leadership and loyalty during a pivotal time in American history.
Charles Lee
- Born: February 6, 1732
- Birthplace: Cheshire, England
- Died: October 2, 1782
- Place of death: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
American Revolutionary War soldier
Major offenses: Court-martialed for disobedience of orders and disrespect to his commander; treason
Active: June 28, 1778 at Battle of Monmouth
Locale: Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Sentence: Relieved of command for one year
Early Life
Charles Lee was born the youngest of seven children of Irish parents in England, where his father was a colonel in the British Army. Lee graduated from a Swiss military school and was commissioned as an ensign in the army at age twelve. In 1748, he completed grammar school, where he had studied military history and learned both to speak and write French and Italian and to read Greek and Latin. Lee entered into regular service in his father’s regiment at age fifteen and became a lieutenant in the Forty-Fourth Regiment of Foot at age nineteen. He was then sent to the United States at the beginning of the French and Indian War in 1755.
Lee was of medium height, thin, slovenly, and not handsome. During the French and Indian War, he married the daughter of a Mohawk Indian chief, but little else was reported about the marriage. There were also hints of Lee’s homosexual proclivities. He preferred his pack of dogs, which accompanied him everywhere, to associations with people. His disagreeable manners included arrogance, a violent temper, petulance, sarcasm, and vain self-assessment. Offsetting these factors to some degree were his self-confidence, intelligence, and scrupulous honesty. These latter qualities, as well as his extensive military experience, articulate speech, and effective pamphleteering, helped make him a strong competitor to George Washington when the Congress was choosing a commander-in-chief.
Military Career
After being wounded in the unsuccessful attack on Fort Ticonderoga in July of 1758 and after some months of recovery, Lee took part in the capture both of Fort Niagara and of Montreal in 1760. Following his return to England, his unit fought in Portugal against the Spanish, and later he served King Stanislaus Leszczyński of Poland. Placed on half-pay in 1772, he retired from the British Army in 1773, went to Virginia to live, and became a promoter of American independence.
When an American Army was formed in 1775, Washington was named commander-in-chief, with Lee third in order after Artemas Ward. Lee served initially at the Siege of Boston, and then in Rhode Island, New York, and Charleston, South Carolina, before returning north to New Jersey, where he commanded an army. On December 12, 1776, Lee spent an evening apart from his army at a local tavern, where he was taken prisoner next morning by a small party of British soldiers. During his captivity, on March 29, 1777, Lee submitted a plan to his captors for ending the revolution. Discovered some time later, this plan was considered treasonous, although Lee asserted that it was intended only to deceive the British. By the spring of 1778, Lee was released in a prisoner exchange and reported to Washington at Valley Forge.
At the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Lee failed to perform as ordered: He refused to attack the enemy as directed by Washington and instead ordered a retreat. When he was dressed down by Washington for doing so, he responded disrespectfully. Subsequent letters by Lee to Washington in which he asked for a trial to prove his case were also disrespectful.
Legal Action and Outcome
Lee was arrested and charged with disobedience of orders and disrespect to his commander; he was found guilty of all charges in a court-martial and was removed from command for one year. Lee continued to attack Washington both in words and in print, which caused Colonel John Laurens, an aide to Washington, to challenge Lee to a duel. Lee was wounded in the duel and unable to accept another challenge from Anthony Wayne. He then retreated to his decrepit plantation in Virginia. When Lee’s year of suspension was complete, he wrote such an offensive letter to the Continental Congress that they released him from duty in January, 1780. Lee died of pneumonia while visiting in Philadelphia in 1782.
Impact
Had Charles Lee succeeded either in his attempt to get Congress to recognize him as superior to George Washington in military capabilities or in his efforts, while in British captivity, to mediate a peace agreement or to promote with his captors a plan to defeat the Americans, the Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States might have turned out very differently. Lee’s lack of success was undoubtedly influenced by his opportunistic, self-serving, egotistical approach in all situations. It eventually became obvious, not only to Washington but also to congressional leaders, that Lee’s decisions and actions were primarily dictated by what he saw as beneficial to his own career. In the end, his generalship was not regarded in the same class as that of other well-regarded military figures.
Bibliography
Alden, J. R. General Charles Lee: Traitor or Patriot? Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1951. Examines the life and times of Lee and the impacts of his treason.
Patterson, S. M. Knight Errant of Liberty; The Triumph and Tragedy of General Charles Lee. New York: Lantern Press, 1958. Another biography of Lee.
Thayer, T. The Making of a Scapegoat: Washington and Lee at Monmouth. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1976. This collection from the Lee papers (1754) of the New York Historical Society details the events at Monmouth.