LEE, Eliza Buckminster, author, b. in Ports- mouth, N. H., in 1794; d. in Brookline, Mass., 22 June, 1864. She was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Buckminster, from whom, and from her brother, Joseph S. Buckminster, she acquired a classical education and a fondness for literary pursuits. She married Thomas Lee, of Boston, and passed the greater part of her life in that city and in its vicinity. Her career as an author began with " Sketches of New England Life " (Boston, 1837), which was followed by " Delusion " (1839). She then published a translation from the German of the " Life of Jean Paul Richter " (New York, 1842), and "Walt and Vult, or the Twins" (1845), from Richter's " Flegeljahre." Her other writings are "Naomi, or Boston Two Hundred Years Ago" (Boston, 1848) ; " Memoir of Dr. Joseph Buckmin- ster and of his Son, Rev. Joseph Stevens Buckmin- ster" (1849); "Florence, the Parish Orphan" (1850) ; " Parthenia, or the Last Days of Pagan- ism " (1858) ; and a translation of Berthold Auer- bach's " Barefoot Maiden " (1860).
LEE, Ezra, soldier, b. in Lyme, Conn., in 1749 ;
d. there, 29 Oct., 1821. In August, 1776, he was
selected by Gen. Samuel H. Parsons, with the ap-
proval of Washington, for the hazardous enterprise
of affixing to the British ship Eagle, then lying in
New York harbor, an infernal machine called the
" Marine Turtle," the invention of David Bushnell
(q. v.). The attempt was only partially successful,
owing to the thickness of the ship's copper sheath-
ing, but Lee landed safely after remaining several
hours in the water, and received the congratulations
of Washington, who afterward employed him on se-
cret service. Lee made a similar attempt a short
time afterward with Bushnell's machine and en-
deavored to destroy a British frigate that lay
opposite Bloomingdale, N. Y., but was discovered
and compelled to abandon the enterprise. He sub-
sequently participated in the battles of Trenton,
Brandywine, and Monmouth.
LEE, Gideon, merchant, b. in Amherst, Mass.,
27 April, 1778 ; d. in Geneva, N. Y., 21 Aug., 1841.
He was a shoemaker by trade, began business on
his own account in Worthington, Mass., and, re-
moving to New York city in 1807, entered the
leather trade, and, as agent for the Hampshire
Leather Manufactory, established an extensive and
lucrative business. He was elected to the legis-
lature in 1822, became mayor of New York in
1833, and displayed courage and energy in sup-
pressing the election riots of 1833. He was elected
to congress as a Jackson Democrat in 1834 and
served till 1837, and in 1840 he was a presidential
elector. His son-in-law, Charles M. Leupp, a lover
and patron of American art, and a member of the
Century Club, was associated with him in the leath-
er trade, and succeeded to his business.
LEE, Hannah Farnham Sawyer, author, b. in
Newburyport, Mass., in 1780; d. in Boston, Mass.,
27 Dec, 1865. She was the daughter of a physician
of Newburyport, married George Gardiner Lee.
of Boston, early in life, and resided in the latter
city for many years. Her first acknowledged pub-
lication was an appendix to Hannah Adams's
memoir of herself (Boston, 1832). This was suc-
ceeded by "Grace Seymour" (New York, 1835),
and "Three Experiments in Living" (1838). a work
suggested by the commercial disasters of the time,
which passed through more than thirty editions in
the United States, and as many as ten in England.
Her works exercised a wide and healthful influence
on the youth of the first quarter of the nineteenth
century. Her other writings include many tracts
and essays that were published anonymously, and
" Eleanor Fulton," a sequel to " Three Experiments
in Living" (Boston, 1838); "Familiar Sketches
of the Old Painters " (1838) ; "The Huguenots in
France and America " (1842) ; " Stories from Life "
(1849); " Memoir of Pierre Toussaint " (1853) ; and
" Hisory of Sculptors and Sculpture " (1854).
LEE, Henry, pioneer, b. in Virginia in 1758:
d. in Mason county, Ky., in 1846. He was well
educated, and studied surveying, which profession
he pursued for many years in Mason county,
Ky., having been one of the early settlers in that
state. He was a member of the Virginia legisla-
ture from the district of Kentucky, and also of the
convention that adopted the constitution of the
United States. He was elected to the convention
at Danville in 1787, was one of the commissioners
that located the seat of government at Frankfort,
and county lieutenant for all the territory north
of Licking river. He then studied law, was ap-
pointed judge of the quarter sessions and associate
judge of the circuit court for Mason county, and
was also for many years president of the Washing-
ton branch of the Bank of Kentucky. He was
a sagacious man, of excellent business habits, and
amassed a large fortune. His personal appearance
was imposing, as he was tall and powerfully built.
LEE, Henry Washington, P. E. bishop, b. in
Hamden, Conn., 29 July, 1815; d. in Davenport,
Iowa, 26 Sept., 1874. He received his education
and training for college at the Episcopal academy,
Cheshire, Conn., removed to Massachusetts, opened
a private school at Taunton, and studied theology
while engaged in school-work. He was ordained
deacon in Grace church, New Bedford, Mass., 27
May, 1838, by Bishop Griswold, and priest in St.
Anne's church, Lowell, 9 Oct., 1839, by the same
bishop. He served part of his diaconate in New
Bedford, but in October, 1839, he removed to
Springfield, Mass., and became rector of Christ
church, 2 April, 1840. Three years later he ac-
cepted the rectorship of St. Luke's church, Roches-
ter, N. Y., which post he occupied for eleven years.
He was elected first bishop of Iowa, and conse-
crated in St. Luke's church, Rochester, 18 Oct.,
1854. He received the degree of D. D. from Ho-
bart college in 1850, and from the University of
Rochester in 1852. Bishop Lee received also the
degree of LL. D. from the University of Cambridge,
England, in 1867. He made no contributions to
church literature.
LEE, James, merchant, b. in Scotland in 1795 ;
d. in New York city, 16 June, 1874. For more
than forty years he was a prosperous merchant in
New York city, and was principally engaged in the
Scotch trade. He was for a long time connected
with the New York society library, and Brown's
statue of Washington on Union square was erected
mainly through his instrumentality. When a rich
and penurious merchant, in answer to his appeal
for a subscription, answered that a statue was un-
necessary, as Gen. Washington was enshrined in
the hearts of his countrymen, Mr. Lee answered :
"Well, Mr. R , if he is in your heart, he is in a d—d tight place."
LEE, Jesse, missionary, b. in Prince George county, Va., 12 March, 1758; d. in Baltimore, Md., 12 Sept., 1816. At the age of nineteen he removed to North Carolina, and, entering the ministry of the Methodist church, preached his first sermon in 1779. In 1780 he was drafted into the militia to repel the British invasion of South Carolina, and on his refusal to do active duty was impressed as a
chaplain, serving four months in that capacity. His first appointment was near Eden ton. N. C., and in 1783 he was received into the conference on
