William Lee was an English-born American politician, military officer, and slaveowner. He served in the War of 1812 and in the

Creek War The Creek War (1813–1814), also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, was a regional war between opposing Indigenous American Creek factions, European empires and the United States, taking place largely in modern-day Alabama ...

as an officer in the Georgia Volunteer Militia. An early settler of Alabama, Lee attended the convention that drafted the Constitution of Alabama, and served as a member of the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency contai ...

. In 1821 he was appointed as the first judge in Butler County.

Biography

Lee was born in the 1700s in England. He immigrated to the United States and worked as a plantation manager for Joel McClendon in Jones County, Georgia. In 1810, on behalf of the plantation owner, Lee posted a notice in the ''Georgia Journal'' about a runaway enslaved person. That same year, he served as a witness, alongside Marvelle McClendon, for his employer being granted power of attorney for Mary Partin. In June 1817, he posted another notice searching for a runaway apprentice named Daniel Jefferson McClendon. Lee moved to the

Mississippi Territory The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the western half of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi. T ...

and purchased land in Conecuh County (later Butler County) on October 4, 1817. His land would later be part of the Alabama Territory once the western part of the Mississippi territory was granted

statehood A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "sta ...

. He enslaved three black people on his farm. His wife, likely Penelope McClendon Lee, was of Scottish descent. He had a son, Robert Scothrup Lee.

Military career

In 1813, Lee served as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of an

infantry company A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a Captain (armed forces), captain. Most companies are formed of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, u ...

in the Second Regiment of the Georgia Volunteer Militia. He led the company during the

. He had previously served in the army during the War of 1812. He was later promoted to the rank of brigadier general. On May 20, 1819, Lee was appointed as Major Commandant of the State Militia, 11th Regiment of the 1st Battalion of the Alabama Territory in Conecuh County. In March 1820, he was commissioned as a colonel in the 29th Regiment, Fourth Division, Eighth Brigade of the Alabama Militia.

Political career

In Alabama, Lee became a judge and played a significant role in early Alabama politics, including helping craft the Constitution of Alabama. In June 1820, he was one of the voters for justices and constables in Captain Jolly's District. In September 1820, he was elected to the House of Representatives in the

Alabama Legislature The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the House of Representatives and Senate. It is one of the few state legislatures in which members of both chambers serv ...

. In August 1820 he managed the election at

Fort Dale Fort Dale was a stockade fort built in present-day Butler County, Alabama by Alabama Territory settlers. The fort was constructed in response to Creek Indian attacks on settlers in the surrounding area. Background After the Creek War, a number ...

for Sheriff of Butler County. In 1821 he managed another election at Fort Dale for a senatorial seat that was left vacant after the resignation of Herbert. On June 14, 1821, Lee was appointed as a judge of the Butler County Court.

Later life and death

Lee was the first Master of the Hiram Lodge of Masons in Butler County. Lee died around 1823 and was buried near his residence, three and a half miles east of Fort Dale. The first Masonic demonstration ever made in Butler County sits atop his grave.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, William Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 19th-century American judges 19th-century American politicians American judges American Freemasons American military personnel of the War of 1812 American militia officers American slave owners Brigadier generals English emigrants to the United States Members of the Alabama House of Representatives Military personnel from Alabama Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state) People from Georgia (U.S. state) in the War of 1812 People of the Creek War