Arthur Tracy Lee
Encyclopedia
Arthur Tracy Lee served as an officer in the regular army before and during the American Civil War
. He was also an author, painter, musician, and an architect.
to James Lee and Catharine Shriner. As a youth, he studied art in Philadelphia, supposedly under Thomas Sully
. On October 3, 1838, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 5th United States Infantry Regiment
, mostly through the influence of Simon Cameron
. Less than a month later, on November 1, he was transferred to the 8th United States Infantry Regiment. He assisted in the 1840 removal of Winnebago Indians from Wisconsin
and later participated in the Seminole War. While in Florida, he would meet Margaret Wenthworth Spafford, whom he would marry on July 27, 1844 at St. Augustine
. They would have five children, only one of which would not die young.
. At the battles of Palo Alto
and Resaca de la Palma
, he commanded a company of the regiment, serving alongside 1st Lieutenant James Longstreet
. He would write a poem about both of these battles.
to act as a recruiter. During this time, on January 27, 1848, he was promoted to captain. He finished his recruiting duty that July and in the fall, he helped with the removal of Winnebago Indians in Minnesota
. Late that year, he returned to Texas
and his command of Company C. In October 1849, Lee, along with his company, moved to Fort Croghan
to protect white settlers who were intruding on Indian territory. Four different times, from 1849 to 1851, he would server as the commander here. His company, along with four other companies of the 8th US Infantry, established Fort McKavett
in 1852, to protect west Texas settlers and to act as a rest-stop for California-bound immigrants. During his command here, he had daily contact with southern Comanches, including Buffalo Hump
, Yellow Wolf, Ketumsee, and Sanaco. Lee would write on May 15, 1852, "I have upon all occasions found them to be friendly & well disposed towards the whites, provided they were supplied with food necessary to sustain life."
Lee and his regiment were also dispatched to other camps, including Fort Martin Scott
, Fort Worth, Fort Mason
, and Fort Chadbourne
.
The 8th US Infantry was ordered in October 1854 to establish a fort in the Davis Mountains
, which was further west, entering Apache
territory. During his four years at Fort Davis
, he spent time sketching and watercoloring. There are 154 known paintings, depicting much of what he saw during his service.
When September 1858 came around, Lee, who was in command of two companies, was ordered 120 miles further west, to establish Fort Quitman
. A year later, he was ordered to Fort Brown
to help with the Cortina War. He did not arrive until after the skirmishes had ceased, so he did not see any military action. Lee was next assigned to Fort Stockton.
. He was arrested and then paroled under the condition that he not take up arms against the Confederate government or give information against Confederate interests unless "regularly engaged."
On October 26, 1861, he was appointed as major of the 2nd Infantry Regiment
. Complying with his parole terms, he spent much of his time doing various assignments in the North, but when his parole expired, he joined his regiment in time to command them at the battle of Gettysburg
.
Gettysburg
On July 2, 1863, at 3:30 am, Lee advanced his regiment towards Gettysburg, which was five miles away. When they were about 1½ miles southeast of the town, twenty men were pushed forward as skirmishers to probe enemy pickets, which could be seen beyond a body of woods. After skirmishing for about 2 hours and suffering light casualties, they were withdrawn and marched two miles to the left rear, where they would rest.
Around 5:00 pm, Lee was ordered to join the fighting at the Wheatfield, forming the right of Colonel Sidney Burbank's
brigade. Traveling through Plum Run to reach their objective, they came upon a marshy area, that at places, was ankle-deep in mud. Confederate sharpshooters from the left, right, and front began firing upon the regiment. After ordering his unit to double-quick, Lee was able to force the sharpshooters back, driving them from the edge of the Rose Woods on Houck's Ridge. He came upon a stone wall at the edge of the Wheatfield and his unit was ordered to halt, taking cover behind the wall.
Due to the attack being made my Colonel Jacob Sweitzer's
brigade, Colonel Burbank could not advance his brigade, as the attack was being made perpendicular to their current position, with the enemy to the left. When Sweitzer's brigade had retired, Lee was ordered to advance. After having his unit jump over the stone wall, they began to make a left wheel. Halfway into the wheel, Lee noticed the Confederates moving quickly to the right, in hopes of outflanking his regiment. Ordering his regiment to halt, firing was commenced and the enemy returned fire. Lee was subsequently wounded in the right ankle and hip as a result.
After some severe fighting, a fresh column of Confederate infantry appeared on the right and Lee was ordered to withdraw his regiment. As soon as they started withdrawing, three lines of infantry, elevated one line above each other to their right, opened fire. The color-staff was cut in half, causing the colors to fall into the hands of the color-bearer.
They retired slowly to the woods, stone wall, and then the marsh, all while under fire from sharpshooters on the left at Devil's Den
and from the columns of infantry to the right. Returning to his battle line, Lee transferred command of the regiment to Captain Samuel A. McKee, under advice from the surgeon.
Due to the seriousness of his wounds, Lee would not return to active duty. However, for his actions that day, he was brevetted to Lieutenant Colonel. On January 20, 1865, he retired from active duty.
in Washington, D.C.
. In 1871, two of his literary works, Army Ballads, and Other Poems and "Reminiscences of the Regiment," which was featured in the History of the Eighth U.S. Infantry, were published.
In 1872, after giving up his position as governor, he moved to Rochester, New York
with Margaret. He continued painting, spending his summers at Shelter Island
.
On December 29, 1879, Lee passed away at his home and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery
in Rochester.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was also an author, painter, musician, and an architect.
Early Life and Career
Lee was born in Northumberland, PennsylvaniaNorthumberland, Pennsylvania
Northumberland is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,714 at the 2000 census.-History:Northumberland was founded in 1772. The land that became Northumberland was purchased from the Iroquois in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, and the...
to James Lee and Catharine Shriner. As a youth, he studied art in Philadelphia, supposedly under Thomas Sully
Thomas Sully
Thomas Sully was an American painter, mostly of portraits.-Early life:Sully was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, to the actors Matthew and Sarah Sully. In March 1792 the Sullys and their nine children immigrated to Richmond, Virginia, where Thomas’s uncle managed a theater...
. On October 3, 1838, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 5th United States Infantry Regiment
5th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
, mostly through the influence of Simon Cameron
Simon Cameron
Simon Cameron was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of War for Abraham Lincoln at the start of the American Civil War. After making his fortune in railways and banking, he turned to a life of politics. He became a U.S. senator in 1845 for the state of Pennsylvania,...
. Less than a month later, on November 1, he was transferred to the 8th United States Infantry Regiment. He assisted in the 1840 removal of Winnebago Indians from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and later participated in the Seminole War. While in Florida, he would meet Margaret Wenthworth Spafford, whom he would marry on July 27, 1844 at St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
. They would have five children, only one of which would not die young.
Mexican-American War
On March 4, 1845, Lee was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. His unit was transferred to Texas in September of that year and placed under General Zachary TaylorZachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
. At the battles of Palo Alto
Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major battle of the Mexican-American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas...
and Resaca de la Palma
Battle of Resaca de la Palma
At the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, one of the early engagements of the Mexican-American War,United States General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican Ejército del Norte under General Mariano Arista on May 9, 1846.-Background:During the night of May 8, following...
, he commanded a company of the regiment, serving alongside 1st Lieutenant James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
. He would write a poem about both of these battles.
Other Assignments
In September 1846, Lee was dispatched to Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
to act as a recruiter. During this time, on January 27, 1848, he was promoted to captain. He finished his recruiting duty that July and in the fall, he helped with the removal of Winnebago Indians in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Late that year, he returned to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and his command of Company C. In October 1849, Lee, along with his company, moved to Fort Croghan
Fort Croghan
*For the 1842 Iowa fort of the same name, see Council Bluffs, Iowa.Fort Croghan was the third of the first four forts established by the United States government to protect settlers from hostile Indians along the Texas frontier. From its establishment in 1849 until its decommission in 1853, Fort...
to protect white settlers who were intruding on Indian territory. Four different times, from 1849 to 1851, he would server as the commander here. His company, along with four other companies of the 8th US Infantry, established Fort McKavett
Fort McKavett State Historic Site
Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a state park in Menard County, Texas, United States. Fort McKavett was a frontier fort established as Camp San Saba in 1852 to protect settlers from Indian raids...
in 1852, to protect west Texas settlers and to act as a rest-stop for California-bound immigrants. During his command here, he had daily contact with southern Comanches, including Buffalo Hump
Buffalo hump
Buffalo Hump was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians...
, Yellow Wolf, Ketumsee, and Sanaco. Lee would write on May 15, 1852, "I have upon all occasions found them to be friendly & well disposed towards the whites, provided they were supplied with food necessary to sustain life."
Lee and his regiment were also dispatched to other camps, including Fort Martin Scott
Fort Martin Scott
Fort Martin Scott is a restored United States Army outpost near Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, United States, that was active from 1848 until 1853...
, Fort Worth, Fort Mason
Mason, Texas
Mason is the seat of Mason County, Texas, United States. The town is an agricultural community on Comanche Creek southwest of Mason Mountain, on the Edwards Plateau and part of the Llano Uplift. The population was 2,114 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, and Fort Chadbourne
Fort Chadbourne
Fort Chadbourne was a fort established by the United States Army on October 28, 1852, in what is now Coke County, Texas, to protect the western frontier and the Butterfield Overland Mail route. It was manned by the 8th U.S. Infantry...
.
The 8th US Infantry was ordered in October 1854 to establish a fort in the Davis Mountains
Davis Mountains
The Davis Mountains are a range of mountains in West Texas, located near Fort Davis, after which they are named. They are a popular site for camping and hiking and the region includes Fort Davis National Historic Site and Davis Mountains State Park...
, which was further west, entering Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
territory. During his four years at Fort Davis
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Fort Davis National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located in unincorporated Jeff Davis County, Texas. Located within the Davis Mountains of West Texas, the historic site was established in 1961 to protect one of the best remaining examples of a United States Army fort in...
, he spent time sketching and watercoloring. There are 154 known paintings, depicting much of what he saw during his service.
When September 1858 came around, Lee, who was in command of two companies, was ordered 120 miles further west, to establish Fort Quitman
Fort Quitman
Fort Quitman was a United States Army installation on the Rio Grande in Texas, south of present-day Sierra Blanca, twenty miles southeast of McNary in southern Hudspeth County. The fort was named for Mississippi Governor John A...
. A year later, he was ordered to Fort Brown
Fort Brown
Fort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.-Early years:...
to help with the Cortina War. He did not arrive until after the skirmishes had ceased, so he did not see any military action. Lee was next assigned to Fort Stockton.
Civil War
While at Fort Stockton, Lee learned upon the secession of Texas from the Union. With his company, he began marching towards the coast in an attempt to get his men out of the state. On April 21, 1861, they were captured in San Antonio by Confederate forcesConfederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. He was arrested and then paroled under the condition that he not take up arms against the Confederate government or give information against Confederate interests unless "regularly engaged."
2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
. Complying with his parole terms, he spent much of his time doing various assignments in the North, but when his parole expired, he joined his regiment in time to command them at the battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
Gettysburg
On July 2, 1863, at 3:30 am, Lee advanced his regiment towards Gettysburg, which was five miles away. When they were about 1½ miles southeast of the town, twenty men were pushed forward as skirmishers to probe enemy pickets, which could be seen beyond a body of woods. After skirmishing for about 2 hours and suffering light casualties, they were withdrawn and marched two miles to the left rear, where they would rest.
Around 5:00 pm, Lee was ordered to join the fighting at the Wheatfield, forming the right of Colonel Sidney Burbank's
Sidney Burbank
Sidney Burbank served as an officer in the regular army before and during the American Civil War. For a time he led a brigade in the Army of the Potomac.-Pre War:...
brigade. Traveling through Plum Run to reach their objective, they came upon a marshy area, that at places, was ankle-deep in mud. Confederate sharpshooters from the left, right, and front began firing upon the regiment. After ordering his unit to double-quick, Lee was able to force the sharpshooters back, driving them from the edge of the Rose Woods on Houck's Ridge. He came upon a stone wall at the edge of the Wheatfield and his unit was ordered to halt, taking cover behind the wall.
Due to the attack being made my Colonel Jacob Sweitzer's
Jacob B. Sweitzer
Jacob Bowman Sweitzer was a Pennsylvania lawyer and soldier who commanded a regiment and then a brigade in the Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War...
brigade, Colonel Burbank could not advance his brigade, as the attack was being made perpendicular to their current position, with the enemy to the left. When Sweitzer's brigade had retired, Lee was ordered to advance. After having his unit jump over the stone wall, they began to make a left wheel. Halfway into the wheel, Lee noticed the Confederates moving quickly to the right, in hopes of outflanking his regiment. Ordering his regiment to halt, firing was commenced and the enemy returned fire. Lee was subsequently wounded in the right ankle and hip as a result.
After some severe fighting, a fresh column of Confederate infantry appeared on the right and Lee was ordered to withdraw his regiment. As soon as they started withdrawing, three lines of infantry, elevated one line above each other to their right, opened fire. The color-staff was cut in half, causing the colors to fall into the hands of the color-bearer.
They retired slowly to the woods, stone wall, and then the marsh, all while under fire from sharpshooters on the left at Devil's Den
Devil's Den
Devils Den is a boulder-strewn Gettysburg Battlefield hill used by artillery and infantry during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day...
and from the columns of infantry to the right. Returning to his battle line, Lee transferred command of the regiment to Captain Samuel A. McKee, under advice from the surgeon.
Due to the seriousness of his wounds, Lee would not return to active duty. However, for his actions that day, he was brevetted to Lieutenant Colonel. On January 20, 1865, he retired from active duty.
Postbellum
Lee would receive a retroactive promotion to Colonel on July 28, 1866, for years of service in the United States Army. From 1867 through 1872, he would serve as the governor of the Old Soldier's HomeOld soldiers' home
An old soldiers' home is a military veteran's retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes even an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc.-United States:...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In 1871, two of his literary works, Army Ballads, and Other Poems and "Reminiscences of the Regiment," which was featured in the History of the Eighth U.S. Infantry, were published.
In 1872, after giving up his position as governor, he moved to Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
with Margaret. He continued painting, spending his summers at Shelter Island
Shelter Island (town), New York
Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It forms the tip of Suffolk County and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
On December 29, 1879, Lee passed away at his home and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery
Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester
Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York, founded in 1838, is the United States' first municipal rural cemetery. Situated on 196 acres of land adjacent to the University of Rochester on Mount Hope Avenue, the cemetery is the permanent resting place of over 350,000 people...
in Rochester.