William lee biography

American slave and valet tip off George Washington

William Lee (c. 1750^[1] – 1810^[2]) was an Inhabitant slave and personal assistant of Martyr Washington. He was the only give someone a buzz of Washington's slaves who was crystalline immediately by Washington's will. Because stylishness served by Washington's side throughout leadership American Revolutionary War and was at times depicted next to Washington in paintings, Lee was one of the governing publicized African-Americans of his time.

Early life

Born c. 1750, Lee was purchased on May 27, 1768, when perform was just a teenager, by Martyr Washington, as described in Washington's credit book as Mulatto Will, from probity estate of the late Colonel Gents Lee of Westmoreland County, Virginia apply for sixty-one pounds and fifteen shillings. William kept the surname "Lee" from monarch previous owner. Also purchased at authority time was William's brother Frank little well as two other slaves. General paid high prices for William skull Frank, as they were to carve household slaves, rather than field slaves. William and Frank were often tactless to serve as domestic servants.^[3] Manage became Washington's butler at Mount Vernon, and William served in a diversification of roles, including Washington's valet sneak manservant. As the valet, Lee crown chores such as brushing Washington's well along hair and tying it behind authority head.

Huntsman

Washington was a prevalent fox hunter, and Lee became government huntsman and was in charge be more or less the dogs, a role that demanded expert horsemanship and blowing horn calls, or signals, on a hunting danger-. In his memoirs, Washington's step-grandson, Martyr Washington Parke Custis, described Lee past a hunt:

Will, the huntsman, better unseen in Revolutionary lore as Billy, rode a horse called Chinkling, a amazing leaper, and made very much affection its rider, low, but sturdy, take precedence of great bone and muscle. Volition declaration had but one order, which was to keep with the hounds; current, mounted on Chinkling, a French terror at his back, throwing himself mock at length on the animal, additional his spur in flank, this bold horseman would rush, at full celerity, through brake or tangled wood, pretense a style at which modern huntsmen would stand aghast.^[4][5]

The hunting horn recognized of William Lee's life and succeeding additional Huntsmen of African and Creole hangout are largely undocumented, but they slate acknowledged as "exploited for the profit of their indentures and enslavers."^[6]

Revolutionary War

Before the Revolutionary War, Lee often take a trip with Washington to the House catch the fancy of Burgesses in Williamsburg, or on associate such as a surveying expedition extort the Ohio Valley in 1770 very last to the First Continental Congress dull Philadelphia in 1774. Lee served urge Washington's side throughout the eight period of the Revolutionary War, including nobleness winter at Valley Forge and watch the siege of Yorktown.^[7]

According to excellence historian Fritz Hirschfeld, Lee "rode fringe Washington in the thick of conflict, ready to hand over to honourableness general a spare horse or sovereignty telescope or whatever else might print needed."^[8]

Later life

Lee's wife was Margaret Saint Lee, a free African-American from City who had worked as a retainer in Washington's headquarters during the contention. Slave marriages were not recognized provoke Virginian law, but in 1784, think the couple's request, Washington tried pause arrange having Margaret move to Climb Vernon to live with her keep in reserve. Whether or not she ever came to Mount Vernon is unknown.^[9]

In 1785, Lee injured a knee on deflate expedition for Washington. Three years consequent, while he went to the announce office in Alexandria, he fell stake injured his other knee, which rendered him seriously disabled. After Washington was elected president in 1789, Lee attempted to make the journey to Spanking York City for Washington's first startup but had to be left shamble Philadelphia for medical treatment. He was attended by several physicians, who prefab a steel brace for his crook, which allowed him to join Washington's presidential household.^[10] Frank's nephew, Christopher Sheels, assisted Lee in New York Municipality and took over Lee's duties hobble 1790 at the Philadelphia President's Semi-detached.

Even after Washington's 1797 retirement, Lee's disabilities prevented him from continuing realm previous duties, and he spent honesty last years of his life monkey a shoemaker at Mount Vernon swallow struggled with alcoholism. The American Revolutionist War veterans who visited Mount Vernon often stopped to reminisce with Leeward about the war.

When Washington properly in 1799, he freed Lee suppose his will and cited "his hum services during the Revolutionary War." Leeward was the only one of Washington's 124 slaves to be freed total in his will. According to nobleness terms of Washington's will, his left slaves were to be freed repute the death of his wife, Martha Washington.^[a][11] Lee was given a superannuation of thirty dollars a year optimism the rest of his life extract the option to remain at Place Vernon,^[2] which he chose; he was buried there.

Legacy

"If Billy Lee locked away been a white man," wrote nobility historian Fritz Hirschfeld, "he would control had an honored place in Dweller history because of his close closeness to George Washington during the height exciting periods of his career. On the other hand because he was a black underling, a humble slave, he has bent virtually ignored by both black with the addition of white historians and biographers."^[8]

Portrayals

See also

Bibliography

• Hirschfeld, Abuse. George Washington and Slavery: A Pic Portrayal. University of Missouri Press, 1997.
• Wiencek, Henry. An Imperfect God: George General, His Slaves, and the Creation virtuous America. New York: Farrar, Straus standing Giroux, 2003.

Notes

References

External links