Robert Edward Lee Jr. (1843 - 1914)

Born 27 Oct 1843 in Arlington, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Charlotte Taylor (Haxall) Lee — married 16 Nov 1871 (to 1872) in Virginia

Husband of Juliet G. (Carter) Lee — married 8 Mar 1894 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Died 19 Oct 1914 at age 70 in Upperville, Fauquier, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Rob Lee Jr. is Notable.

Rob Lee Jr. has English ancestors.

Lieutenant Rob Lee Jr. served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 28 March 1862
Mustered out: Paroled on 25 May 1865
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): 13th Regiment Virginia Light Artillery

Civil War Veteran^[1]

He fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, including the Seven Days' Battles, Malvern Hill (1862), the Chancellorsville Campaign (1863), and the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (1864).

Robert Edward Lee Jr. was born 27 October 1843 in Arlington, Virginia. His parents were Robert Edward Lee and Mary Ann Randolph Custis. His father was a Lt. in the United States Army Corps of Engineers at the time. Robert Jr. had 5 older siblings when he was born. War came to America and to the Lee family with the War with Mexico in 1846. Robert Jr's father was off to war in Mexico from 1846 until 1848. His father returned having been promoted to Brevet Lt. Col. His father returned to duties in Washington. Robert attended boarding school in the 1850's. His father became the Superintendent at West Point in 1852 and served there until 1855. His father was promoted to Lt. Col. and was sent to Texas and Camp Cooper. Robert E. Lee Sr. was away from the family from 1856 until 1857.

Lt. Col. Lee returned to Virginia on leave in 1859 to attend to the estate matters of Rob's maternal grandfather. During this period of time Rob's father was ordered to Harper's Ferry in Virginia to suppress an insurrection there led by John Brown. Lt. Col. Lee then returned to duty in San Antonio in Texas. His father returned by August of 1860 and Rob and his family were recorded on the census in Arlington in Virginia.

War Between the Union and the Southern Confederacy

War came to America, the south, and the Lee family again in April of 1861. Rob's father resigned from the United States Army and took over command of Virginia's forces. His father was made a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army.

Robert E. Lee Jr. enlisted as a Private on 28 March 1862 in Captain Archibald Graham's Company of the Virginia Light Artillery also known as Rockbridge Artillery. His unit formed part of General Jackson's famed Stonewall Brigade. His first combat was in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

Second Battle of Manassas On August 29, 1862, at the Second Battle of Manassas, Union General John Pope hurled his troops against Jackson's line. The Rockbridge Artillery^[2]fought side by side with the infantry in repulsing the attacks. The next day the battery shifted to the right and assisted in repulsing renewed attacks against Jackson's front.

Bloody Antietam On September 17, at the Battle of Antietam, the Rockbridge Artillery was positioned near the Dunkard Church where it endured such a severe counter-battery cross fire from Union artillery that some Confederate gunners dubbed the battle "artillery hell." Although the battery was not as badly damaged as other units were, the ferocity of the fire prompted Robert E. Lee Jr., a member of the battery, to recall that the unit had been "severely handled" while aiding Confederate General J. E. B. Stuart's artillery fire on the Union flank. Lee also recalled that after the battle, his visage begrimed with powder and sweat, his own father, General Robert E. Lee, failed to recognize him. He remembered that "when he found out who I was, he congratulated me on being well and unhurt. I then said: 'General, are you going to send us in again?' 'Yes, my son,' he replied, with a smile: 'You all must do what you can to help drive these people back.'" Defiantly, the Army of Northern Virginia would remain on the field for another day before prudently retreating.

Robert Lee Jr. was appointed the rank of Lieutenant on 13 November 1862.

Robert wrote letters to his family back in Virginia and to his father all during the war. Robert Lee Jr. was commissioned a Lieutenant Aide-de-Camp, serving as a staff officer to his brother, William Henry Fitzhugh "Rooney" Lee, who led a cavalry regiment. Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville Robert Lee Jr. fought with the regiment at the Battle of Fredericksburg, in December 1862, and then at Chancellorsville the following spring. Rooney Lee was captured in June 1863, and Robert Lee Jr. left the regiment's staff and worked instead for the Ordnance Department in Richmond. After the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863) he returned to service with the 13th Virginia Cavalry, commanded by John Randolph Chambliss in a division led by Lee's brother Rooney. He fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, including the Seven Days' Battles, Malvern Hill (1862), the Chancellorsville Campaign (1863), and the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (1864).

In his Recollections and Letters, he recalled being "surprised" when he heard of the news of his father's surrender at Appomattox. "To say that I was surprised does not express my feelings," he wrote. "I had never heard the word 'surrender' mentioned, nor even suggested, in connection with our general or our army." Joining a group of cavalrymen led by Thomas Lafayette Rosser, he followed the remnants of Confederate President, Jefferson Davis's government to Greensboro, North Carolina. That was as far as he made it. He eventually returned to Richmond and was paroled there on 25 May 1865.

Life After the War

After the war Rob had no interest in politics. He pursued farming while still a bachelor. He had an inheritance given him by his maternal grandfather.

From the Will of his grandfather:

"I give and bequeath to my third and youngest grandson, Robert Edward Lee, when he is of age, my estate in the county of King William and State of Virginia, called Romancock, containing four thousand acres, more or less, to him and his heirs forever.

Rob moved to his land in King William County and remained there until his death in 1914. Rob recorded his memories of his family and life at Arlington in Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee, published in 1904. This first hand account remains a valuable source of information on day-to-day life at Arlington House.

Family

Rob was married in November 1871 in Virginia to Charlotte Taylor Haxall. She died in 1872 from Tuberculosis.

Rob was married again to Juliet G. Carter in 1894 in Washington, District of Columbia

Rob and Juliet had two daughters: Anne Carter Lee b. 1897 and Mary Custis Lee b. 1900

From Find A Grave: "Robert E. Lee, Jr. was the sixth child and third son of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Anna Custis Lee. When his father first laid eyes on his namesake he said: "He has a long fine nose like his father, but no whiskers." Rob, as he was called, was a favorite of his father and he used to get into bed with the General in the mornings for talking sessions. A rather laid-back person, with simple tastes, Rob attended boarding schools during the 1850's and, unlike his two older brothers, he did not want to have a military career. However, when the Civil War was in progress, he enlisted as a Private (1862) and then he was eventually appointed a Captain. He inherited the Romancock property from his [maternal] grandfather and he retired there after the war, later writing Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee which was published in 1904. This work remains an important source for reference to this day. Rob married twice; he married his first wife, Charlotte Haxall, in November of 1871 and then, after Charlotte's death, he married Juliet Carter (April 6, 1860 - November 17, 1915). Juliet is buried beside Rob in the Lee family crypt in Lexington, Virginia."

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Rockbridge_Artillery
2. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Rockbridge_Artillery

Find A Grave: Memorial #8090239

"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M41M-VQJ : 19 March 2020), Robt Lee in entry for R E Lee, 1860.

https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Will_of_George_Washington_Parke_Custis_March_26_1855

https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Robert_E_Lee_Jr_1843-1914

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC5X-GCR : 15 July 2017), Robert E Lee, West Point, King William, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 42, sheet 94A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,375.

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMNB-4N8 : accessed 18 April 2020), Robert E Lee, West Point District, King William, Virginia, United States; citing Enumeration District (ED) 43, sheet 7B, family 140, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,714.

1910 West Point, King William, Virginia census (occupation: farmer)

Robert E. Lee, Jr. Wikipedia article

R.E. Lee, Jr. National Parks Service- Arlington House

Virginia Death Certificate

Acknowledgements: Lee-7 created by Donna (Clemmons) Allen, 13 Nov 2008 Lee-791 was created through the import of indygrandma.ged on 2 January 2011

Merges: Lee-791 into Lee-7, 27 December 2013