Robert Lees (July 3, 1842September 21, 1908) was a

Scottish American Scottish Americans or Scots Americans (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ameireaganaich Albannach''; sco, Scots-American) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, d ...

immigrant, lawyer, judge, and Democratic politician. He served four years in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

and one year in the State Assembly, and served as county judge of

Buffalo County, Wisconsin Buffalo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,317. Its county seat is Alma. The county was created in 1853 and organized the following year. History Buffalo County, founded ...

, for the last 27 years of his life. 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 ...

, he served in the famous

Iron Brigade The Iron Brigade, also known as The Black Hats, Black Hat Brigade, Iron Brigade of the West, and originally King's Wisconsin Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought ent ...

of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

and was badly wounded at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

Biography

Lees was born on July 3, 1842, in Coatbridge, Scotland, near Glasgow, in July 1842. As a child, he emigrated with his parents to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in 1848, settling first at

Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha C ...

, then moving to Cross township in Buffalo County in 1855. At the time, Buffalo County was a pioneer community with limited educational opportunities, but studied law under his father,

Edward Lees Edward Lees ( 1819 - November 6, 1893) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography A Scottish immigrant, Lees first settled in Ottawa, Wisconsin in 1848. His son, Robert Lees, became a member of the Assembly and the Wisconsin State ...

Civil War service

At the outbreak of the

in 1861, he joined up as a private with a company of

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

for 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

. His company was enrolled as Company H, in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. The 6th Wisconsin Infantry was sent to the eastern theater of the war and organized into a brigade which soon became known as the

of the

. Lees served with the regiment through its participation in the major battles of the eastern theater, including

Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...

, South Mountain,

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and was promoted to first sergeant in the company. At Gettysburg, he was severely wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy. He was subsequently paroled and sent to a Union Army hospital, where he remained until mustered out of federal service in July 1864.

Political career

After being discharged, Lees returned to Buffalo County and established a home in Gilmantown. His wounds left him incapable of farm work, so he devoted the next several years to teaching at rural schools and was subsequently elected superintendent of schools for Buffalo County. Lees became active with the

Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for worke ...

. In 1872, he won election to the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing Buffalo County's Assembly district. He continued studying law and was admitted to the bar shortly after his Assembly term. In 1881, he was elected county judge of Buffalo County, and was subsequently re-elected in 1885, 1889, 1893, 1897, 1901, and 1905. While serving as judge, he was elected to the

in 1890 in

Wisconsin's 29th State Senate district The 29th Senate District of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin State Senate. Located in north-central Wisconsin, the district comprises all of Rusk, and Taylor counties, along with most of Sawyer and Marathon counties, and parts o ...

, then-comprising Buffalo, Barron, Dunn, and Pepin counties. He was not a candidate for re-election to the Senate in 1894. He served as county judge for the rest of his life. Lees suffered a Stroke in September 1908, and died a few days later at his home in

Alma, Wisconsin Alma is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 716 at the 2020 census. The motto for the city of Alma is: "Step into Living History." History Alma was named in commemoration of the Battle ...

Personal life and family

Robert Lees was the son of

. Edward Lees was also a self-taught lawyer and served four terms in the

. On March 4, 1865, Robert Lees married Mary Baertsch, the daughter of another family of Buffalo County pioneers. They had six children together. Their eldest son, Edward, became a lawyer in

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, Winona County, in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota ...

, and served as court commissioner of the

Minnesota Supreme Court The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center. History The court was first assemb ...

for 10 years. Another son, Andrew, became a prominent attorney in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Robert Lees was described as a friend of Edward S. Bragg, who had been colonel of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry and later served as a U.S. congressman and a leader of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. In Bragg's final bid for election to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

, Lees was the sole vote for Bragg in the official tabulation.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1872)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 5, 1872

Wisconsin Senate (1890)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 4, 1890

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lees, Robert People from Coatbridge Scottish emigrants to the United States People from Alma, Wisconsin Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin state court judges School board members in Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers 1842 births 1908 deaths 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges Politicians from North Lanarkshire