Wandering Lizard

Biographical Notes

Robert Edward Lee

Congress did not provide any more funds for the Mississippi project and Lee closed it out in the fall of 1840. On February 27, 1841, the Lee's fifth child was born - Eleanor Agnes. After the summer in Washington, his next assignment was to Fort Hamilton just outside New York City where he was engaged in repairing and improving the fortifications. During that assignment he had additional duty as a member of the Board of Visitors for West Point, the Board of Engineers for Atlantic Coast Defense and as an assistant to then commander of the Corps of Engineers, Colonel Joseph G. Totten. On October 27, 1843, Mary gave birth to their sixth child - Robert Edward Lee, Jr. When the Texas boundary dispute flared up in June 1845, Lee indicated that if hostilities with a foreign power broke out he wanted an assignment in which he would see action. War did indeed break out and General Zachary Taylor engaged the Mexican Army in northern Mexico, but Captain Lee remained in the Fort Hamilton assignment until August 1846 when he finally received orders to join Brigadier General John E. Wool in San Antonio. In his advance through northern Mexico, Wool used Lee and his fellow engineer officers to develop maps and execute reconnaissance of routes of advance in addition to the normal construction tasks required of the engineer company. This scouting work inevitably resulted in Lee and his fellow engineers offering informed tactical and strategic advice. During this campaign Lee traveled over 700 miles, but did not see combat.

In January 1847 Lee received orders to report to Major General Winfield Scott's headquarters in Brazos, Texas. Scott was general-in-chief of the United States Army and had long advocated an attack on Mexico City via a landing at Vera Cruz. President Polk had resisted the initiative for a variety of reasons including domestic political considerations, but eventually concluded that Taylor could not accomplish the task of defeating Mexico by himself. In selecting Lee for his staff, Scott was probably acting on the recommendation of Colonel Joseph G. Totten, who was serving as his senior Engineer officer. Lee was quickly included in Scott's inner circle of advisors. On February 15, 1847, Lee sailed with Scott to Tampico. A few days later on February 22 and 23, General Taylor and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna fought the battle of Buena Vista. It was an intense fight and both sides lost heavily, but because Santa Anna chose to leave the field of battle it was declared a victory for Taylor. On March 9, Scott landed at Collado Beach, two miles south of Vera Cruz, without opposition. On March 22, Scott began his attack on Vera Cruz. Lee's primary tasks were associated with the positioning of the artillery that pounded the city into submission. The surrender took place on March 29, 1847. As Scott now turned his attention to driving into the interior of Mexico, he ran into a strong Mexican defensive line anchored on the high ground of Cerro Gordo. Lee distinguished himself in finding a route of advance that led to the penetration of the Mexican defenses and guiding part of the attacking force. He was later recognized for his service at both Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo and promoted to brevet major effective April 18, 1847.

After Cerro Gordo, Santa Anna withdrew to Mexico City and Scott advanced to the town of Puebla about seventy-five miles from Mexico City. There Scott was forced to remain for three months while volunteer soldiers whose enlistments were ending were replaced by reinforcements from the United States. Lee spent much of that time on reconnaissance and mapping the terrain that the army would have to pass over on its advance to Mexico City. Colonel Totten had left the command after Vera Cruz and, as a result, Lee's position in Scott's inner circle of staff officers grew stronger. At the battles for Contreras and Churubusco, Lee distinguished himself again and was later promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel. Scott wrote of "the gallant and indefatigable Captain Lee" saying that Lee was "as distinguished for felicitous execution as for science and daring." The commanding general also said that Lee's actions on the night of August 19 were "the greatest feat of physical and moral courage performed by any individual in my knowledge." After these engagements, Santa Anna requested an armistice and Scott agreed. The armistice fizzled out and Scott renewed his advance. Lee positioned artillery batteries in preparation for the assault on Chapultepec and then served as a guide for part of the attacking force. He was lightly wounded during the battle and fainted from loss of blood and exhaustion. As a result he missed the final assault on Mexico City, but was promoted to brevet colonel for his part in the battle for Chapultepec.

Lee had come into the war a captain and a year later was a brevet colonel. He remained in Mexico for nine more months and became disgusted with the political bickering that plagued the peace negotiations. Scott was accused of attempting to achieve peace through bribery and President Polk relieved him of his command pending the outcome of a court of inquiry into his decisions during the war. Lee was called as a witness and followed the case closely. He was convinced that President Polk wished to destroy Scott politically because of domestic political concerns. Polk was a Democrat and Scott a Whig with apparent presidential aspirations. Although Scott's reputation was damaged, he continued to serve as general-in-chief of the army until 1861 and during that time continued to think very highly of Lee. Lee returned to his family at Arlington on June 29, 1849. In Washington he was assigned to headquarters of the Engineer Corps still headed by Brigadier General Totten. In November 1849 he was reassigned to Sollers Point near Baltimore where he was to start the construction of a new fort (Fort Carroll). During that assignment he also traveled extensively as a member of the Board of Engineers for Atlantic Coast Defenses. In late 1849, Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis recommended Lee for command of a revolutionary army in Cuba, but Lee declined. In July 1850, Winfield Scott helped Lee's son Custice obtain an appointment to West Point. In May 1852 Lee was assigned to West Point as superintendent. He took up his duties the following September.

In March 1855 Congress decided that the army should be expanded in order to provide more protection to settlers in the western territories. Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, announced that Colonel Lee would be transferred to one of the two new cavalry regiments that was being formed. Lee left West Point on April 9, 1855, and visited Arlington before assuming his new duties at Jefferson Barracks outside of St. Louis. He helped organize the new Second Cavalry Regiment and then visited Arlington on leave before continuing on to rejoin the regiment in its new post in Fort Mason, Texas on March 25, 1856. His commanding officer was Colonel Albert Sydney Johnson. The Fort Mason regimental headquarters was located one hundred miles northwest of San Antonio and Lee's post was at outlying Camp Cooper where he commanded two squadrons of cavalry from the Second Regiment. Camp Cooper was positioned to keep watch on a reservation of five hundred seventy-seven Comanche Indians located nearby. Lee did not respect the Comanche people and did not find his duties leading two squadrons of cavalry on the frontier to be very challenging. When his father-in-law died on October 10, 1857, Lee requested and received leave to return to Arlington to help settle his affairs.

Custis' will left the family home in Arlington to Mary as long as she lived and divided the rest of his estate among his other heirs. It also called for the emancipation of all of the estate's slaves within five years. Lee received a lot in Washington D.C. and was named first among four executors of the estate. When Lee began trying to settle his father-in-law's affairs he found the estate to be heavily in debt. His wife's health had declined dramatically while he had been in Texas and she was close to being an invalid. Lee also quickly began having trouble with slaves who refused to work and demanded their freedom immediately. In June 1859, Horace Greeley's New York Tribune published two anonymous pejorative letters about Arlington slaves and the slaveholder Robert E. Lee. At his request Winfield Scott extended Lee's leave until October 1859 so that he could deal with the Custis estate. On October 17, 1859, Lieutenant James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart rode up at Arlington and informed Lee that he was to report immediately to the War Department. Secretary of War John B. Floyd took Lee to meet with President James Buchanan where he learned of a civil disturbance at Harper's Ferry. Buchanan ordered Lee to go to Harper's Ferry and reestablish order. Using some Marines and a unit of local militia, Lee managed to capture John Brown and his four fellow conspirators and rescue the thirteen hostages that Brown had been holding. On February 9, 1860, Lee was ordered to San Antonio where he assumed the command of the Military Department of Texas.

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