Light-Horse Harry

An engrossing biography of Washington's great cavalryman. General Henry Lee was an accomplished soldier and statesman, recognised for his heroic cavalry exploits during the American Revolutionary War. Ideal reading for those who have enjoyed the books of H. W. Brands, Craig L. Symonds and Nathaniel Philbrick. Henry Lee learnt to ride before he was 5, joined Washington's Army upon the outbreak of the American Revolution at 19, and was appointed Captain of the Fifth Troop of Virginia Dragoons at 20. At 22 Colonel Lee took command of a mixed cavalry and infantry unit known as "Lee's Legion" - the finest offensive team in the entire Continental Army. Nicknamed "Light-Horse Harry" for his lightning raids on British supply wagons, the young Virginian quickly earned a reputation for horsemanship and distinguished himself as one of the most skilled and courageous cavalry officers of the American Revolution. "No man sits a saddle more firmly" said General George Washington of Henry Lee. After the war Lee served in the Virginia legislature, in the Congress under the Articles of Confederation, in the Virginia Convention of 1788 that ratified the federal Constitution, and as governor of the state between 1791 and 1794. His political career was interrupted while he commanded the Army to put down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. From 1799 to 1801 he served in the United States House of Representatives. George Washington's personal confidant and friend, on the President's death in 1799 Lee delivered the immortal lines: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Noel B. Gerson charts the triumphs and tragedies of one of the nation's most distinguished citizens, whose rapid rise to fame was overshadowed by bankruptcy, imprisonment and the injuries he received from an angry mob in later life. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary sources, including private correspondence and Lee's own published memoirs, Gerson masterfully portrays a dedicated patriot and natural-born soldier, a trait he passed on to his even more renowned son, General Robert E. Lee. "a lively and interesting account of the life and military career of General Henry Lee." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography Light-Horse Harry is the history of a quintessential Virginia cavalryman and gallant Revolutionary war hero whose political accomplishments helped pave the way for American independence.