Eleanor Agnes Lee (February 27, 1841 – October 15, 1873) was an American diarist and poet. The fifth child of General
Robert E. Lee and
Mary Anna Custis Lee
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee (October 1, 1807 – November 5, 1873) was an American writer and the last private owner of Arlington Estate. She was the daughter of George Washington Parke Custis who was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis W ...
, she was a member of the prominent
Lee family of Virginia
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese s ...
and was affectionately called "Wiggy" and "Agnes" by her parents. In her youth, Lee kept a diary about her life at
Arlington Plantation. In 1984, her diary was published posthumously under the title ''Growing Up in the 1850s'', and was considered one of the first detailed accounts the private lives of the Lee family at Arlington. Lee also wrote poetry, often in letters to her family, inspired by real-life events including the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the death of her favorite sister,
Anne Carter Lee
Anne Carter Lee (June 18, 1839 – October 20, 1862) was the fourth child and second daughter of General Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. She grew up at Arlington House on her family's plantation. During the American Civil War, she s ...
, and the execution of her beau and cousin,
William Orton Williams.
Early life and family
Lee was born on February 27, 1841, the fifth child and third daughter of
Robert E. Lee and
Mary Anna Custis Lee
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee (October 1, 1807 – November 5, 1873) was an American writer and the last private owner of Arlington Estate. She was the daughter of George Washington Parke Custis who was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis W ...
.
[ She was a younger sister of ]George Washington Custis Lee
George Washington Custis Lee (September 16, 1832 – February 18, 1913), also known as Custis Lee, was the eldest son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. His grandfather George Washington Custis was the step-grandson and adopted son of G ...
, Mary Custis Lee
Mary Custis Lee (July 12, 1835 — November 22, 1918) was an American heiress and the eldest daughter of Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. Throughout the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, she remai ...
, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (May 31, 1837 – October 15, 1891), known as Rooney Lee (often spelled "Roony" among friends and family) or W. H. F. Lee, was the second son of General Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis. He was a planter, a Confed ...
, and Anne Carter Lee
Anne Carter Lee (June 18, 1839 – October 20, 1862) was the fourth child and second daughter of General Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. She grew up at Arlington House on her family's plantation. During the American Civil War, she s ...
and an older sister of Robert E. Lee Jr.
Robert Edward "Rob" Lee Jr. (October 27, 1843 – October 19, 1914) was the sixth of seven children of Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee, Mary Anna Randolph Custis. He became a soldier during th ...
and Mildred Childe Lee
Mildred Childe Lee (February 10, 1846 – March 27, 1905) was an American society hostess and the youngest child of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. She was the last member of the Lee family to be born at Arlington Plantation and had a p ...
. Lee was a member of the prominent Lee family of Virginia
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese s ...
, descending from American colonist Richard Lee I
Richard Lee I (1618 – 1 March 1664) (later nicknamed "The Immigrant") was the first member of the Lee family to live in America (although he also considered himself an English gentleman). Poor when he arrived in Virginia in 1639 on a ship w ...
. Through her mother, she was a descendant of Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...
, Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, (29 September 1699 – 24 April 1751) was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland. He inherited the title to Maryland aged just fifteen, on the death of his father and gra ...
, and Charles II of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
.
As a member of the planter class
The planter class, known alternatively in the United States as the Southern aristocracy, was a racial and socioeconomic caste of pan-American society that dominated 17th and 18th century agricultural markets. The Atlantic slave trade permitted p ...
, Lee had a privileged upbringing at Arlington House Arlington House may refer to:
*Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
*Arlington House (London) a hostel for the homeless in London, England, and one of the Rowton Houses
*Arlington House, Margate, an eighteen-storey residential apartment bloc ...
on her family's plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
in Virginia.[ She and her sisters, who were particularly close, were doted upon by their father, who called her "Agnes" and "Wiggy".] Lee was especially close to her sister Anne.[ She was a sickly child, and was often away from home on health trips.][
She was educated at home by tutors before being sent to the Virginia Female Institute, a girl's boarding school, in 1855.] A tutor, Sue Poor, taught her music, English, French, and arithmetic.[ One of her governesses gave her a journal for Christmas when Lee was twelve years old.][ She maintained the diary for five years, writing about ice skating on the canal, a visit to the family home from ]Washington Irving
Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...
, and crossing the river with her grandfather to celebrate George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
's birthday.[ Because of her diary, many details about the private family life of Arlington House are known.][ Her diary was later published under the title ''Growing Up in the 1850s''.][ She also wrote poetry, including the poems ''Motherhood'', ''A Statue in the Garden'', ''On the Jail Steps'', ''Peace'', ''A Roman Doll'', ''Her Going'', and ''Convention''.][
She was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 1857.][ While at home, she helped her mother and sisters teach enslaved children on their plantation, despite it being illegal to do so in Virginia.][
]
Adult life
Lee's father was against the idea of her and her sisters marrying. When Lee attended a friend's wedding, her father wrote to her saying, "I hope that this is the last wedding that you will attend." He again wrote, to a relative, "there was a great rage for matrimony, and the fever seemed to be contagious. It made me anxious to extricate Anges", when she began helping another friend in marriage preparations.[ Nevertheless, she was courted by William Orton Williams, a childhood friend and cousin on her mother's side.][ Williams proposed to Lee, but she turned down the offer.][ Her father did not consider Williams to be a good match for Lee.][
During the ]American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, Lee and her sisters and mother knitted socks and gloves for Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
soldiers and worked in hospitals for wounded soldiers.[ She and Anne were sent to ]Ravensworth
Ravensworth is a village and civil parish in the Holmedale valley, within the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north-west of Richmond and from Darlington. The parish has a population of 255, accordin ...
, their cousin's plantation in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
.[ That spring, they joined her mother and sister at ]White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, another relative's plantation along the Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York Rive ...
.[ The family were placed under house arrest by the ]Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
but were released after General George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...
arranged for them to be sent across Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
lines to join Robert E. Lee in Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
.[
In the summer of 1861, Lee and her sister, Anne, stayed at Clydale, the summer home of Dr. Richard Stuart, in ]King George County, Virginia
King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723. Its county seat is the town of King George.
The county's largest employer is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center ...
.[ Shortly thereafter, they made a trip to Stratford Hall, their family's seat and the birthplace of their father.][ In 1867, she accompanied her father and mother on a trip to Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs.][ In the summer of 1868 she went with her family to the Warm Springs in ]Bath County, Virginia
Bath County is a United States county on the central western border of the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the West Virginia state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,209, the second-least populous county in Virginia. Bath's county ...
.[ After the Civil War had ended, she moved to ]Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...
with her family, where her father accepted the position as president of Washington University
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
. During this time, she had a number of suitors, including an astronomy professor from the Virginia Military Institute
la, Consilio et Animis (on seal)
, mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal)
, established =
, type = Public senior military college
, accreditation = SACS
, endowment = $696.8 mill ...
, but she declined their offers for marriage.[
In 1870, upon the advice of the family physicians, Lee accompanied her father on an extended trip to ]Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
to help care for him.[ When her father died later that year, she dressed him for his funeral.][
In August 1862, Anne contracted ]typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
, and Lee moved with her to Jones Springs in Warren County, North Carolina
Warren County is a county located in the northeastern Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina, on the northern border with Virginia, made famous for a landfill and birthplace of the environmental justice movement. As of the 2020 ce ...
to help her with treatment.[ Agnes would often climb into bed with her sister to help keep her body warm during the illness.][ On October 20, 1862, Anne died. Her last words were reportedly to her mother, asking "where's Agnes?"][ Her sister's death devastated Lee.][ The following year, her cousin and former beau, William Orton Williams, was executed by hanging after being convicted by the ]United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
as a Confederate spy. She reportedly never recovered from his death.[Couling 1987, pp. 126, 168.]
Death and burial
Lee died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
in Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...
on October 15, 1873, three years after the death of her father and just twenty-one days before the death of her mother. She is buried alongside her family in University Chapel
University Chapel (formerly Lee Chapel) of Washington and Lee University is a National Historic Landmark in Lexington, Virginia. It was constructed during 1867–68 at the request of Robert E. Lee, who was president of the school (then known as ...
.
References
Citations
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Eleanor Agnes
1841 births
1873 deaths
19th-century American poets
18th-century American women writers
19th-century deaths from tuberculosis
American Civil War nurses
American diarists
American people of English descent
American socialites
American women non-fiction writers
American women poets
Burials at University Chapel
Episcopalians from Virginia
Female wartime nurses
Eleanor
Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages.
The name was introd ...
People from Arlington County, Virginia
Poets from Virginia
Tuberculosis deaths in Virginia
Women in the American Civil War
19th-century diarists