{⋆★⋆} LG Lee, Stephen Dill

Stephen Dill Lee
General Lee.jpg

:CSA1stNat:

Born:
September 22, 1833

Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina

Genealogical Connection: Stephen's Great-Great-Great Grandfather Francis Lee (Lord Mayor of London in 1602) is an ancestor of Robert E. Lee

Father: Dr. Thomas Lee 1809 – 1870
(Buried: Upper Long Cane Cemetery Abbeville South Carolina)​

Mother: Caroline Allison 1811 – 1838
(Buried: Calhoun Family Burial Ground McCormick South Carolina)​

Wife: Regina Harrison 1841 – 1903
(Buried: Friendship Cemetery Columbus Mississippi)​

Children:

Blewett Harrison Lee 1867 – 1951​
(Buried: Friendship Cemetery Columbus Mississippi)

Education:

1854: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (17th in class)​

Occupation before War:

1854 – 1856: 2nd Lt. United States Army 4th Artillery​
1856 – 1861: 1st Lt. United States Army 4th Artillery​
1857: Acting Assistant Adjutant General Department of Florida​
1857 – 1861: Quartermaster for 4th United States Army Artillery​
1861: Resigned from United States Army on February 20th​
House.jpg

Civil War Career:

1861: Captain of South Carolina State Militia​
1861: Assistant Adjutant General of the forces in Charleston S.C.​
1861: Captain of Confederate Army Artillery​
1861: Aide to General P.G.T. Beauregard​
1861 – 1862: Major in Hampton's Legion Light Artillery​
1862: Lt. Colonel of Confederate Army Artillery​
1862: Participated in the Peninsula Campaign​
1862: Colonel of Confederate Army Artillery​
1862: Participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run​
1862: Participated in the Battle of Antietam​
1862 – 1863: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry​
1862: Participated in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou​
1863: Participated in Vicksburg Campaign becoming prisoner of war​
1863 – 1864: Major General of Confederate Army Infantry​
1864: Commander of Department of Mississippi & Eastern Louisiana​
After war.jpg
1864: Participated in the Battle of Tupelo Mississippi​
1864 – 1865: Lt. General of Confederate Army Infantry​
1864: Participated in the Atlanta Campaign​
1864: Wounded in the foot during the Battle of Spring Hill​
1864: Wounded in the foot by shall fragments (December 17)​
1865: Participated in the Carolina's Campaign​
1865: Surrendered with General Joseph Johnston's Army​

Occupation after War:

1865 – 1878: Planter in Columbus Mississippi​
1878: Mississippi State Senator​
1879 – 1880: Planter in Columbus Mississippi​
1880 – 1899: President of A & M College of Mississippi​
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1890: Delegate to Mississippi State Constitution Convention​
1899 – 1908: Chairman of Vicksburg National Park Association​
Active member of United Confederate Veterans Society​
1904: Commander in Chief of United Confederate Veterans Society​

Died: May 28, 1908

Place of Death: Vicksburg Mississippi

Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemorrhage

Age at time of Death: 74 years old

Burial Place: Friendship Cemetery Columbus Mississippi


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He fought a good commander in A.J. Smith, at the battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg, Mississippi, and was beaten back.
I tend to believe an opinion of the Battle of Tupelo that I read somewhere. After General Forrest's tremendous victory at Brice's Crossroads, his commander, General Lee, wanted to get some of the glory by leading the next campaign. He failed to move his troops and motivate them as well as Forrest did and came close to suffering a major defeat.
 
I tend to believe an opinion of the Battle of Tupelo that I read somewhere. After General Forrest's tremendous victory at Brice's Crossroads, his commander, General Lee, wanted to get some of the glory by leading the next campaign. He failed to move his troops and motivate them as well as Forrest did and came close to suffering a major defeat.
I believe he tried again to gain victory and glory at Ezra Church, failed miserably.

Kevin Dally
 
Lee had his good moments, and bad ones too.
I have often wondered what his veterans thought of him criticizing THEM in the OR's for their lack of zeal at the battle of Jonesboro, GA.? That took place a short time after Lee rammed thousands of them against the dug in Yanks at the battle of Ezra Church, with a terrible casualty rate, that accomplished little.:unsure:
He fought a good commander in A.J. Smith, at the battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg, Mississippi, and was beaten back.

Kevin Dally
He probably should have been left with his first arm of success, the artillery. I don't know what the reasoning for sending him to the West was; it was so often a "dumping ground" for failures like Theopholis Holmes, etc. and I see no reason for anything like that, in light of his performances at Manassas and Sharpsburg. He and Forrest didn't get along very well at first either, especially at Tupelo, and his recall of Forrest to fight Sturgis at Brice's Crossroads, although a stellar victory, may well have been a mistake in the long run since it left Sherman's vulnerable supply line untouched during the Atlanta Campaign.
 
He probably should have been left with his first arm of success, the artillery. I don't know what the reasoning for sending him to the West was; it was so often a "dumping ground" for failures like Theopholis Holmes, etc. and I see no reason for anything like that, in light of his performances at Manassas and Sharpsburg. He and Forrest didn't get along very well at first either, especially at Tupelo, and his recall of Forrest to fight Sturgis at Brice's Crossroads, although a stellar victory, may well have been a mistake in the long run since it left Sherman's vulnerable supply line untouched during the Atlanta Campaign.

If you can believe the biographer---which we know they can be a little biased---then this is the story behind Lee's promotion and transfer. I am paraphrasing because this book won't lie flat.

Five days after Antietam, S. D. Lee turned 29 on their march back into Virginia. At this time, President Davis sent a letter to R. E. Lee asking for a recommendation of an artillery officer who he could promote to General and send to Vicksburg. General R. E. Lee recommended S. D. Lee. The author does point out that R. E. Lee sometimes promoted out of his command officers he didn't like. In this case R. E. Lee desired to give his artillery command to E. Porter Alexander. R. E. Lee did give high praises about S. D. Lee ---but we know how today's officer performance reviews get over-inflated. He wrote: "I feel that I am much weakened by the loss", where President Davis replied "if you require Lee he will be sent back to you." Lee was a day late arriving at his ceremony in Washington but his promotion was still dated the previous day, 6 November 1862.
Less than a Year later(November 1863?), R. E. Lee needed a new division commander and wrote Davis: "I think it probable that some meritorious officers . . . on duty in Gen. Johnston's Department may be without a command. If Gen. Stephen D. Lee is in this situation I would recommend that he be ordered to this army to take charge of Wilcox's brigade in case of the latter's promotion." Then just 2 days later, Stephen D. was promoted to Major General.

Another interesting piece of detail about S. D. Lee that may reflect either how well he was liked or how well his connections were occurred after the fall of Vicksburg. General S. D. Lee was exchanged on 13 July---9 days after the Confederate surrender. It happened so fast that General Sherman complained to Washington that S. D. Lee had violated parole & exchange protocol.
 
If you can believe the biographer---which we know they can be a little biased---then this is the story behind Lee's promotion and transfer. I am paraphrasing because this book won't lie flat.

Five days after Antietam, S. D. Lee turned 29 on their march back into Virginia. At this time, President Davis sent a letter to R. E. Lee asking for a recommendation of an artillery officer who he could promote to General and send to Vicksburg. General R. E. Lee recommended S. D. Lee. The author does point out that R. E. Lee sometimes promoted out of his command officers he didn't like. In this case R. E. Lee desired to give his artillery command to E. Porter Alexander. R. E. Lee did give high praises about S. D. Lee ---but we know how today's officer performance reviews get over-inflated. He wrote: "I feel that I am much weakened by the loss", where President Davis replied "if you require Lee he will be sent back to you." Lee was a day late arriving at his ceremony in Washington but his promotion was still dated the previous day, 6 November 1862.
Less than a Year later(November 1863?), R. E. Lee needed a new division commander and wrote Davis: "I think it probable that some meritorious officers . . . on duty in Gen. Johnston's Department may be without a command. If Gen. Stephen D. Lee is in this situation I would recommend that he be ordered to this army to take charge of Wilcox's brigade in case of the latter's promotion." Then just 2 days later, Stephen D. was promoted to Major General.

Another interesting piece of detail about S. D. Lee that may reflect either how well he was liked or how well his connections were occurred after the fall of Vicksburg. General S. D. Lee was exchanged on 13 July---9 days after the Confederate surrender. It happened so fast that General Sherman complained to Washington that S. D. Lee had violated parole & exchange protocol.
Great information - I have only one somewhat unrelated comment regarding Alexander: Confederate artillery batteries had been divided into divisional artillery with batteries attached directly to individual divisions in battalions consisting of as I remember three or four batteries combined under the command of a major; and an artillery reserve at the corps level consisting of two battalions of four or five batteries, each under the direction of a colonel. As it worked out, in Longstreet's First Corps Alexander commanded only one of the two battalions and was subordinate to Colonel Walton commanding the battalion consisting of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans who outranked him. In fact, at Gettysburg Lee or Longstreet had to somehow finagle Alexander into command of the bombardment of July 3! Previously, at Fredericksburg this hadn't been a problem because the battalions were engaged sequentially instead of simultaneously, with Walton going first, into positions that had been selected by Alexander. So if the scenario you propose is true - and there's no other reason to suppose it may not be - it didn't exactly achieve the stated purpose.
 
It's hard to add a tid-bit or comment about a "major -player" because most students of the civil war are well aware of anything they did.
He rowed out to Fort Sumter with the delegation to negotiate surrender.

"1864: Commander of Department of Mississippi & Eastern Louisiana
1864: Participated in the Battle of Tupelo Mississippi"

That placed him commander over General Nathan B. Forrest. He commanded a cavalry division at the Battle of Moscow, TN, on 4 Dec 1863.

" 1854: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (17th in class) "
He roomed with Custis Lee while Robert E. Lee was over West Point. They didn't know it but they are distantly related, going back 5+ generations.

A similar bust of S. D. Lee stands(I guess it hasn't been torn down) on the ROTC drill field (as it was called in 1960's) of Mississippi State University.
SD Lee MSU.jpg
 
If not for Gen SD Lee the Vicksburg NMP would not be what it is today.
 
Lee was one of those men who I think was promoted too quickly. His time as a Lieutenant General was marred by horrible failures such as at Tupelo (giving Forrest his first real defeat), and at Ezra Church.
Maybe he should have had more time at a division level like Stewart did before given a Corps level command.
 
Stephen Dill Lee:
:CSA1stNat:
Born: September 22, 1833View attachment 373492
Birthplace: Charleston South Carolina
Father: Dr. Thomas Lee 1809 – 1870
(Buried: Upper Long Cane Cemetery Abbeville South Carolina)
Mother: Caroline Allison 1811 – 1838
(Buried: Calhoun Family Burial Ground McCormick South Carolina)
Wife: Regina Harrison 1841 – 1903
(Buried: Friendship Cemetery Columbus Mississippi)
Children:
Blewett Harrison Lee 1867 – 1951
(Buried: Friendship Cemetery Columbus Mississippi)

Education:
1854: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (17th​ in class)

Occupation before War:
1854 – 1856: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army 4th​ Artillery
1856 – 1861: 1st​ Lt. United States Army 4th​ Artillery
1857: Acting Assistant Adjutant General Department of Florida
1857 – 1861: Quartermaster for 4th​ United States Army Artillery
1861: Resigned from United States Army on February 20th​

Civil War Career:
1861: Captain of South Carolina State Militia
1861: Assistant Adjutant General of the forces in Charleston S.C.
1861: Captain of Confederate Army Artillery
1861: Aide to General P.G.T. Beauregard
1861 – 1862: Major in Hampton's Legion Light Artillery
1862: Lt. Colonel of Confederate Army Artillery
1862: Participated in the Peninsula Campaign
1862: Colonel of Confederate Army Artillery
1862: Participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run
1862: Participated in the Battle of Antietam
1862 – 1863: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry
1862: Participated in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou
1863: Participated in Vicksburg Campaign becoming prisoner of war
1863 – 1864: Major General of Confederate Army Infantry
1864: Commander of Department of Mississippi & Eastern Louisiana
1864: Participated in the Battle of Tupelo Mississippi
1864 – 1865: Lt. General of Confederate Army Infantry
1864: Participated in the Atlanta Campaign
1864: Wounded in the foot during the Battle of Spring Hill
1864: Wounded in the foot by shall fragments (December 17)
1865: Participated in the Carolina's CampaignView attachment 373493
1865: Surrendered with General Joseph Johnston's Army

Occupation after War:
1865 – 1878: Planter in Columbus Mississippi
1878: Mississippi State Senator
1879 – 1880: Planter in Columbus Mississippi
1880 – 1899: President of A & M College of Mississippi
1890: Delegate to Mississippi State Constitution Convention
1899 – 1908: Chairman of Vicksburg National Park Association
Active member of United Confederate Veterans Society
1904: Commander in Chief of United Confederate Veterans Society


Died:
May 28, 1908
Place of Death: Vicksburg Mississippi
Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemorrhage
Age at time of Death: 74 years old
Burial Place: Friendship Cemetery Columbus Mississippi



View attachment 373494

View attachment 373495
And just 5 days after his artillery covering the Dunker Church at Antietam went through "artillery hell" he celebrated his 29th birthday. That had to be thought provoking, to say the least.
 
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