Light-Horse Harry Lee

The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero

By: Ryan Cole

Narrated by: John McLain

He was a dashing military hero who led the fight for America's independence. His son would later become the general who almost tore America apart.

Henry Lee III - whose nickname, "Light-Horse," came from his legendary exploits with mounted troops and skill in the saddle - was a dashing cavalry commander and hero of America's War for Independence. By now most Americans have forgotten about Light-Horse Harry Lee, the father of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, but this new biography reveals he may be one of the most fascinating figures in our nation's history. A daring military commander, Lee was also an early American statesman whose passionate argument in favor of national unity helped ratify the Constitution.

When President George Washington needed to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion, he sent in his friend Light-Horse Harry Lee with 12,000 militiamen. When Washington died, Lee was the man who famously eulogized our first president as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." With incredible stories about Light-Horse Harry Lee's interactions with famous men and women - including George and Martha Washington, Nathanial Greene, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr - this book paints a rich portrait of an underappreciated American character and provides unique new insight into the upbringing and motivations of Lee's infamous son, General Robert E. Lee.

©2019 Ryan Cole (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Like father, unlike son.

Pretty much anybody that reads about the Civil War learns in passing that R.E. Lee's father was the Revolutionary War hero Light Horse Harry Lee. That's usually about the end of it. So I was pleased to find this reasonably full length biography of the elder Lee.

In short, dude was a interesting cat. Emotional, proud, a tactically skilled cavalry leader, close friend of Washington, supporter of the Constitution, he also was an utterly intractable con man/profligate spender who was both a Governor of Virginia and ended up serving a year in debtor's prison in addition to getting beaten nearly to death later in life by a mob while defending a Federalist newspaper editor friend against the mob. Oh, then he sailed permanently to the West Indies without his family to "recover" and died on his way back. Got all that?

To say this rather quixotic life was a different from his son would be a vast understatement. That contrast is probably the most interesting aspect of this biography. On its own, Lee's rise as a Soldier and politician, and eventual fall would be interesting but more as trivia than as an important part of the historical record. The fact that his son (who admittedly barely knew him as he left when the boy was only 5) turned out to be such the polar opposite in temperament and demeanor and became such a paragon of duty and rectitude (as he saw it) is what makes study of the father that much more valuable. Cole's biography does a fine job of tracing all of this (though does not touch on the relationship with the son as there's not enough there), but still produces an eminently readable work.

great missing story of history

this books tells you more about Light Horse Harry Lee than anything I've ever read.

Strange performance

It’s a great story, and the writing is exquisite. What’s totally off-putting is this antebellum southern accent the reader gives for the Lees. Colonial accents were different and it totally takes away from the story to have a thick southern accent where there isn’t one elsewhere in the story.

Wonderfully written and read and educative.

I learned much in this book about this amazing patriot, including the bad with the good of his life. There should be monuments to him all over the original thirteen states. God bless his soul.

Great Biography of a lesser known Founding Father

A very thorough telling of the life, rise and downfall of a military hero of the Revolutionary War