Light Horse Harry Lee: The Cumberland Connection

A non-descript headstone rests on a prime piece of real estate overlooking Cumberland Island’s pristine South End marsh. It appears unremarkable until you read it memorializes a remarkable man: General Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee. What is this great Revolutionary War general’s connection to Cumberland Island, and why was he buried here over 200 years ago? Read on to find out.

A Revolutionary War Star is Born

Light Horse Harry Lee was born to Virginia gentry in January 1756 and distinguished himself in the Revolutionary War as an able horseman, earning him his nickname. From January 1777, Lee served George Washington in Philadelphia where the two became close. In August 1779, he led the storming of Paulus Hook, New Jersey, causing the British to lose much of that state. For this accomplishment, Lee earned Washington’s praise and a gold medal from the Second Continental Congress, making him the only non-general to receive such an award during the war.

General Nathanael Greene (who later acquired half of Cumberland Island and whose widow built the island’s first Dungeness Mansion) personally requested Lee join the Southern Army, where he distinguished himself further. By the end of the war, he was assigned to carry dispatches to George Washington and arrived in Yorktown in time for the British surrender.

A Servant to His Country

Lee’s loyalty to Washington and the American cause made him a popular post-war figure, even though he had a string of business failures; after 1800 he became involved in unfortunate land speculation and was twice imprisoned for debt. He had more success in politics, as he served in the Virginia legislature, Congress under the Articles of Confederation, the Virginia Convention that ratified the Constitution, and as governor of Virginia. He then became a United States Representative, during which time he penned George Washington’s eulogy to Congress, famously stating our first president was “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

In 1812, Lee became embroiled in a riot in Baltimore in which he attempted to aid his publisher friend against an anti-Federalist mob. His friend died from his injuries; Lee was badly wounded and partially blinded after hot wax was poured into his eyes. He never fully recovered.

Cumberland Bound

After this incident, Lee traveled to the West Indies at the age of 62, hoping its mild climate would aid in his recovery. However, the change did not help; he realized he was dying (probably of cancer) and wished to expire in his beloved home state of Virginia. He boarded a ship which, it is believed, was commanded by Captain Lewis Mory, a native of Rhode Island who later died and was buried in St. Marys, Georgia. However, on the way Lee’s suffering grew unbearable. Knowing he could not make it home, he asked to be set ashore at nearby Cumberland Island.

Upon landing, the feeble, emaciated, and penniless general told Louisa Greene Shaw, daughter of Nathanael Greene and mistress of Cumberland’s Dungeness, “I am purposely come to die in the house and in the arms of the daughter of my old friend and compatriot [General Greene].” Louisa did everything possible for Lee’s comfort. For a time, he was able to take short walks around the garden, leaning on Louisa’s nephew’s arm. However, he became progressively weaker until finally he was unable to leave his room.

A Star Falls on Cumberland

At that time, an American fleet anchored in Cumberland Sound heard of the general’s illness. Its commanders called at Dungeness to pay their respects and have two navy physicians nurse him, but to no avail. Two months after his arrival, Lee died on March 25, 1818. Army and navy officers escorted Lee’s body from Dungeness to the Greene-Miller family’s marsh front cemetery. Guns were fired from the John Adams, the flagship of the fleet.

Lee’s famous son, Robert E. Lee, visited his father’s grave in 1870 where he solemnly laid a wreath. Today, the two are buried side by side. In 1913, the Virginia Assembly had Light Horse Harry’s body exhumed and reinterred by his son’s grave in Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, but Lee’s original headstone remains on Cumberland Island. His story displays that even the most inconspicuous headstone can contain fascinating stories. We are fortunate that in Camden County we possess historic graves with countless tales such as this one.

Learn more about Light Horse Harry Lee and Cumberland Island’s history on our Cumberland Island Walking Tour!