Henry A. G. Lee
Encyclopedia
Henry A. G. Lee was a soldier and politician in Oregon Country
in the 1840s. A member of Virginia’s Lee family, he was part of the Fremont Expedition
and commanded troops during the Cayuse War
in what became the Oregon Territory
. He also was a member of the Oregon Provisional Government and the second editor of the Oregon Spectator
.
, circa 1818. In 1843, Lee was a part of John C. Frémont
’s Army expedition through the Western United States, including what is now the state of Oregon. During the expedition he was sent with a note to Kit Carson
ordering Carson to catch up to the group, and later when the party split into two Lee remained with Fremont before returning to Oregon on September 22.
in 1845. He represented the Clackamas District
and served as Speaker of the body for part of the December session. In 1846, Lee became the second editor of the Oregon Spectator
, the first newspaper in the region. He replaced William G. T'Vault
and would remain editor for nine issues of the paper before George Law Curry
took over the position.
, was attacked by members of the Cayuse tribe
in the Whitman Massacre
. This led to further violence in the ensuing Cayuse War
prosecuted by the Provisional Government of Oregon
and later the United States government against the Native Americans in what became the Oregon Territory
in 1848. In December 1847 when word of the attack reached the Willamette Valley
, the Provisional Government and Gov. George Abernethy
called for volunteers to fight against the Cayuse, with Lee volunteering and being selected as captain of a 50 man unit to be dispatched immediately to The Dalles
. The Oregon Rifles
under the command of Lee formed on December 8, and gathered at Fort Vancouver
on December 10 where they purchased supplies from the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) post. The HBC would not extend credit to the Provisional Government, so the volunteer soldiers pledged their individual credit in order to purchase supplies with the hope that the government would be able to repay them at a later time. The group was to protect the Methodist Mission
there and prevent any hostile forces from reaching the Willamette Valley.
While preparation were made for war, the Provisional Government also attempted to negotiate with the Cayuse and other tribes. Lee was appointed as one of the peace commissioners, along with Joel Palmer
and Robert Newell
to seek a truce with the Cayuse and demand they turn over the killers from the massacre at the start of hostilities. Lee and his troops, with John E. Ross and Joseph Magone as lieutenants, then marched off to The Dalles, arriving on December 21. Upon arriving there, Lee led his men against a band of Native Americans and drove them off, but not before they stole 300 head of cattle. There the troops built a stockade and named the post Fort Lee
for the commander, though the small fortification was also called Fort Wascopam. Lee’s forces continued defending the Wascopam Mission and settlers until Colonel Cornelius Gilliam
arrived with a larger force in February 1848, at which point Lee became third in command after Gilliam and Lieutenant-Colonel James Waters.
With a larger force, the militia forces pressed east towards the Whitman Mission, with Lee commanding some troops and carrying out reconnaissance. By March 4 the forces reached the mission after a battle at Sand Hollows. After reaching the mission, Gilliam set out for The Dalles with a small force to supply that settlement, before continuing to Oregon City to report to the governor when he was accidentally shot and killed. Lee continued west with Gilliam’s body and was promoted to Colonel before returning to the front. Once at the front he discovered that the troops had elected Waters as Colonel, so Lee resigned as colonel and took the role as a subordinate to Waters.
. He successfully mined there before returning to Oregon and setting up business in Oregon City
in 1850. That year Lee traveled by ship to New York to acquire inventory for his store, but died of Panama fever on his return to Oregon in 1851.
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
in the 1840s. A member of Virginia’s Lee family, he was part of the Fremont Expedition
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
and commanded troops during the Cayuse War
Cayuse War
The Cayuse War was an armed conflict that took place in the Northwestern United States from 1847 to 1855 between the Cayuse people of the region and the United States Government and local Euro-American settlers...
in what became the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
. He also was a member of the Oregon Provisional Government and the second editor of the Oregon Spectator
Oregon Spectator
The Oregon Spectator, was a newspaper published from 1846 to 1855 in Oregon City of what was first the Oregon Country and later the Oregon Territory of the United States. The Spectator was the first American newspaper to be published west of the Rocky Mountains and was the main paper of the region...
.
Early life
Lee was born in VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, circa 1818. In 1843, Lee was a part of John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
’s Army expedition through the Western United States, including what is now the state of Oregon. During the expedition he was sent with a note to Kit Carson
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
ordering Carson to catch up to the group, and later when the party split into two Lee remained with Fremont before returning to Oregon on September 22.
Oregon Country
After settling in Oregon, Lee was elected to the Provisional Legislature of OregonProvisional Legislature of Oregon
The Provisional Legislature of Oregon was the single-chamber legislative body of the Provisional Government of Oregon. It served the Oregon Country of the Pacific Northwest of North America from 1843 until early 1849 at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region...
in 1845. He represented the Clackamas District
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
and served as Speaker of the body for part of the December session. In 1846, Lee became the second editor of the Oregon Spectator
Oregon Spectator
The Oregon Spectator, was a newspaper published from 1846 to 1855 in Oregon City of what was first the Oregon Country and later the Oregon Territory of the United States. The Spectator was the first American newspaper to be published west of the Rocky Mountains and was the main paper of the region...
, the first newspaper in the region. He replaced William G. T'Vault
William G. T'Vault
William Green T'Vault was a pioneer of the Oregon Country and the first editor of the first newspaper published west of the Missouri River. T'Vault led a wagon train of 300 that arrived in Oregon in 1845, after traveling on the Meek Cutoff, a branch of the Oregon Trail...
and would remain editor for nine issues of the paper before George Law Curry
George Law Curry
George Law Curry was a United States political figure and newspaper publisher predominately in what became the state of Oregon. A native of Pennsylvania, he published a newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, before traveling the Oregon Trail to the unorganized Oregon Country...
took over the position.
Cayuse War
On November 29, 1847, the Whitman Mission near present day Walla Walla, WashingtonWalla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, was attacked by members of the Cayuse tribe
Cayuse
The Cayuse are a Native American tribe in the state of Oregon in the United States. The Cayuse tribe shares a reservation in northeastern Oregon with the Umatilla and the Walla Walla tribes as part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation...
in the Whitman Massacre
Whitman massacre
The Whitman massacre was the murder in the Oregon Country on November 29, 1847 of U.S. missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa Whitman, along with eleven others. They were killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians. The incident began the Cayuse War...
. This led to further violence in the ensuing Cayuse War
Cayuse War
The Cayuse War was an armed conflict that took place in the Northwestern United States from 1847 to 1855 between the Cayuse people of the region and the United States Government and local Euro-American settlers...
prosecuted by the Provisional Government of Oregon
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
and later the United States government against the Native Americans in what became the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
in 1848. In December 1847 when word of the attack reached the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, the Provisional Government and Gov. George Abernethy
George Abernethy
George Abernethy was an American pioneer, notable entrepreneur, and first governor of Oregon under the provisional government in what would become the state of Oregon in the United States...
called for volunteers to fight against the Cayuse, with Lee volunteering and being selected as captain of a 50 man unit to be dispatched immediately to The Dalles
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
. The Oregon Rifles
Oregon Rifles
The Oregon Rifles was the first military force organized for the protection of Oregon Country in the northwest of North America. Shortly after the Whitman Massacre, Oregon Governor George Abernethy communicated to the legislature his concern about the seriousness of the conditions, and issued a...
under the command of Lee formed on December 8, and gathered at Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
on December 10 where they purchased supplies from the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) post. The HBC would not extend credit to the Provisional Government, so the volunteer soldiers pledged their individual credit in order to purchase supplies with the hope that the government would be able to repay them at a later time. The group was to protect the Methodist Mission
Methodist Mission
The Methodist Mission was founded in Oregon Country in 1834 by the Reverend Jason Lee. The mission was started to educate the Native Americans in the Willamette Valley and grew into an important center for politics and economics in the early settlement period of Oregon.-Foundation:In 1831, several...
there and prevent any hostile forces from reaching the Willamette Valley.
While preparation were made for war, the Provisional Government also attempted to negotiate with the Cayuse and other tribes. Lee was appointed as one of the peace commissioners, along with Joel Palmer
Joel Palmer
General Joel Palmer was an American pioneer of the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. He was born in Canada, and spent his early years in New York and Pennsylvania before serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Palmer traveled to the Oregon...
and Robert Newell
Robert Newell (Oregon politician)
Robert "Doc" Newell , was an American politician and fur trapper in the Oregon Country. He was a frontier doctor in what would become the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of Ohio, he served in the Provisional Government of Oregon and later was a member of the Oregon State Legislature...
to seek a truce with the Cayuse and demand they turn over the killers from the massacre at the start of hostilities. Lee and his troops, with John E. Ross and Joseph Magone as lieutenants, then marched off to The Dalles, arriving on December 21. Upon arriving there, Lee led his men against a band of Native Americans and drove them off, but not before they stole 300 head of cattle. There the troops built a stockade and named the post Fort Lee
Fort Dalles
Fort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans...
for the commander, though the small fortification was also called Fort Wascopam. Lee’s forces continued defending the Wascopam Mission and settlers until Colonel Cornelius Gilliam
Cornelius Gilliam
Cornelius Gilliam was a pioneer of the U.S. state of Oregon who was best known as the commander of the volunteer forces against the Cayuse in the Cayuse War. A native of North Carolina, he served in the Black Hawk War and Seminole Wars before settling in Missouri...
arrived with a larger force in February 1848, at which point Lee became third in command after Gilliam and Lieutenant-Colonel James Waters.
With a larger force, the militia forces pressed east towards the Whitman Mission, with Lee commanding some troops and carrying out reconnaissance. By March 4 the forces reached the mission after a battle at Sand Hollows. After reaching the mission, Gilliam set out for The Dalles with a small force to supply that settlement, before continuing to Oregon City to report to the governor when he was accidentally shot and killed. Lee continued west with Gilliam’s body and was promoted to Colonel before returning to the front. Once at the front he discovered that the troops had elected Waters as Colonel, so Lee resigned as colonel and took the role as a subordinate to Waters.
Later life
After leaving the war, Governor Abernethy appointed Lee as superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1848. In 1849, he sought his fortune in the gold mines of the California Gold RushCalifornia Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. He successfully mined there before returning to Oregon and setting up business in Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
in 1850. That year Lee traveled by ship to New York to acquire inventory for his store, but died of Panama fever on his return to Oregon in 1851.