william henry fitzhugh lee

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (May 31, 1837 – October 11, 1891), known as Rooney Lee, was the son of Robert E. Lee. He was a planter, a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, and later a member of the U.S. Congress.

Early life

Lee was born in Arlington House, Virginia. He attended Harvard University, and then followed in his father's footsteps, entering the U.S. Army in 1857 as a second lieutenant. He served with the 6th U.S. Infantry under Albert Sidney Johnston, and participated in their activities in Utah against the Mormons. In 1859, he resigned from the U.S. Army to become a planter at his White House plantation.

With the outbreak of the Civil War Lee became a captain in the Confederate Army cavalry and was soon promoted to major. He initially served in western Virginia under the command of Brigadier General William Loring during 1861 and early 1862. He was then placed under the command of Major General J.E.B. Stuart, becoming a lieutenant colonel, and later colonel in the 9th Virginia Cavalry. After the Battle of South Mountain, Lee was promoted to brigadier general. He participated at Antietam under the command of Brigadier General Fitz Lee, his cousin. He commanded the 3rd Brigade of Stuart's Cavalry Division at the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. He was wounded during combat at Brandy Station at the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign and was captured by Union forces at Hickory Hill, Virginia, two weeks later, while recuperating. He was a prisoner of war in New York state until exchanged back to the Confederate Army on February 25, 1864. In April, he was promoted to major general and commanded a division in the Cavalry Corps during the breakout from Petersburg and the retreat of his father's army in the Appomattox Campaign. By the end of the war, he had risen to second-in-command of the Confederate cavalry. He surrendered along with his father at Appomattox Court House.

Lee returned to planting after the war. In 1875 he was elected to the Virginia Senate, serving until 1878. He was then elected as a Democrat to the US House of Representatives in 1887. He served in the House until his death. He died at "Ravensworth" near Alexandria, Virginia, and is interred in the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J.: Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3

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