Fitzhugh Lee - Early life, Civil War, Postbellum

US soldier, born in Fairfax Co, Virginia, USA. The nephew of Robert E Lee, he trained at West Point (1856) and led Confederate cavalry in the Virginia theatre during the Civil War. He was governor of Virginia (1886–90), US consul general to Cuba (1896–8), and commanded the US VII Corps in Cuba following the Spanish-American War (1899–1901).

Fitzhugh Lee
Governor
Governor of Virginia
In office
1886 – 1890
Preceded by	William E. Cameron
Succeeded by	Philip W. McKinney
Born	November 19, 1835 Fairfax County, Virginia
Died	April 18, 1905 Washington, D.C.

Fitzhugh Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 18, 1905), nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and U.S. Army general in the Spanish-American War.

Early life

Lee was born at "Clermont," in Fairfax County, Virginia. He was the grandson of "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and the nephew of Robert E. Lee, was lieutenant colonel.

Civil War

Lee was at once employed in the organization of the forces of the South, and served at first as a staff officer to Brig.

Lee took part in Lt. Gen. Lee's cavalry devolved upon Fitzhugh Lee on March 29, 1865, but the surrender at Appomattox followed quickly upon the opening of the campaign. Fitzhugh Lee himself led the last charge of the Confederates on April 9 that year at Farmville, Virginia.

Postbellum

After the war, Lee devoted himself to farming in Stafford County, Virginia, and was conspicuous in his efforts to reconcile the Southern people to the issue of the war, which he regarded as a final settlement of the questions at issue.

In April 1896, Lee was appointed consul-general at Havana by President Grover Cleveland, with duties of a diplomatic and military character added to the usual consular business. Fitzhugh Lee commanded the VII Army Corps, but took no part in the actual operations in Cuba. Lee was an early leader of the committee for the Jamestown Exposition, which was held at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads in 1907.

Lee died in Washington, D.C., and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

Lee wrote the article about Robert E. Lee (1894) in the Great Commanders series, and Cuba's Struggle Against Spain (1899).