A Guide to the Henry Lee Papers, 1794-1818 Lee, Henry, Papers, 1794-1818 22396

A Guide to the Henry Lee Papers, 1794-1818

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 22396

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

Processed by: Trenton Hizer

Repository

The Library of Virginia

Accession Number

22396

Title

Henry Lee Papers, 1794-1813

Physical Description

25 pages

Creator

Henry Lee

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Henry Lee Papers, 1794-1813. Accession 22396. Personal Papers Collection. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Purchased 7 May 1945 from Goodspeed's Book Shop, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts.

Henry Lee was born 29 January 1756 in Prince William County, Virginia to Henry Lee (1729-1787) and Lucy Grymes Lee. Lee graduated from Princeton College in 1773. After graduation, he handled business affairs for his absent father and considered travelling to England to study law. However, with the outbreak of the American Revolution, he entered the military. An excellent leader, he earned the nickname "Lighthorse Harry." After the Revolution, Lee served as a representative to the Continental Congress (1785-1788), Governor of Virginia (1791-1794), member from Westmoreland County in the House of Delegates (1785-1786, 1789-1791, 1795-1799), and as an United States Congressman (1799-1801). He also served in the federal ratifying convention in 1788. Lee proved less adept at business than at war or politics, and descended into debt in the early 1800s. After serving time in prison for debt, Lee left his family to travel to the West Indies to recover his health in 1813 and died upon returning to the United States in 1818. Lee married 1st, Matilda Lee (d. 1790) in April 1782, and they had 2 children. He married 2nd, Ann Hill Carter (1773-1829) 18 June 1793, and they had 6 children, including Robert E. Lee (1807-1870). Henry Lee died 25 March 1818 at Cumberland Island, Georgia, and originally was buried there. He since has been reinterred in the Lee family vault in the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Scope and Content

Papers, 1794-1813, of Henry Lee (1756-1818) of Westmoreland and Spotsylvania Counties, Virginia, consisting of deeds, 1796-1809, for property in Montgomery and Patrick Counties, Virginia, to and from Lee; letters, 1808-1813, concerning Lee's ownership of the Montgomery and Patrick Counties land, his transfer of this land to Bernard M. Carter of Fauquier County, Virginia, Lee's debts, and his health; a promissory note, 17 January 1794, from Wilson Cary Nicholas (1761-1820) of Albemarle County, Virginia, to Lee; a plat, 21 July 1794, for property in Montgomery and Henry Counties, Virginia, owned by George Nicholas (1754-1799); and an answer, 1811, of Bernard M. Carter to a bill of complaint against him by William McClurry in the Superior Court of Chancery in the Richmond District.

Contents List

Promissory note, 17 January 1794, from Wilson Cary Nicholas (1761-1820) of Albemarle County, Virginia, to Henry Lee (1756-1818) of Westmoreland County.

Plat, 21 July 1794, for 18,920 acres in Montgomery and Henry Counties, Virginia, belonging to George Nicholas (1754-1799) and made by William Tatham (1752-1819).

Deed, dated 19 October 1796 and recorded in General Court 16 November 1796, for 18,920 acres in Patrick and Montgomery Counties from John (1761-1819) and Anne Nicholas of Stafford County, Virginia, to Lee and includes notes by Lee.

Deed, dated 10 February 1806 and recorded 28 April 1806, for 1/4 part of 18,920 acres in Montgomery and Patrick Counties from Henry and Anne Lee (1773-1829) of Westmoreland County, to McCarty Fitzhugh (1763-1823) of Fairfax, Virginia and includes notice, dated 12 March 1810, of reconveyance by deed back to Lee, a note, n.d., by Fitzhugh concerning reconveyance, and a note, dated 13 March 1810, that "engagement has been fulfilled."

Letter, 21 September 1808, from Timothy Harrington of St. Mary's County, Maryland, to Lee concerning land Lee had mentioned.

Letter, 21 January 1810, from Lee to Bernard M. Carter of Fauquier County, Virginia, concerning Lee's debt to him.

Deed, dated and recorded 5 March 1810, for 18,920 acres in Montgomery and Patrick Counties from Henry and Anne Lee of Spotsylvania County to Bernard M. Carter.

Deed, dated 10 December 1809 and recorded 6 March 1810, for 1/4 part of 18,500 acres in Montgomery and Patrick Counties from McCarty Fitzhugh to Lee.

Letter, 7 March 1810, from Lee to Bernard M. Carter discussing the land deeded to Carter.

Letter, 10 March 1810, from Lee to Bernard M. Carter again concerning the land.

Letter, 13 March 1810, from Lee to Hugh Nelson (1768-1836) of Albemarle County, Virginia, informing Nelson that he has transferred all his land to Bernard M. Carter.

Letter, 13 March 1810, from Lee to Bernard M. Carter discussing Lee's land and debts.

Answer, 1811, of Bernard M. Carter to a bill of complaint brought against him by William McClurry in the Superior Court of Chancery in the Richmond District.

Letter, 27 October 1812, from Lee to Bernard M. Carter concerning Lee's health and the land Lee deeded to Carter.

Letter, 22 April 1813, from Lee to Bernard M. Carter concerning Nicholas's note to Lee and the Montgomery and Patrick Counties land.