Memoirs of the Life of the Late Charles Lee, Esq. 1792

Item Details

London, J S Jordan, 1792, Leather

First British Edition, Good

Memoirs of the Life of the Late Charles Lee, Esq. Lieutenant-General of the Forty-Fourth Regiment; Colonel in the Portuguese Service; Major-General and Aid de Camp to the King of Poland, and Second in Command in the Service of the United States of America during the Revolution by Edward Landworthy. Published in London by J S Jordan. 1792. Full leather boards. Likely the first British edition. Biography of Lee during his time in military service to Britain, the US, and Poland. Features biographical memoirs, his political and military essays, a copy of his will, and correspondence to and from prominent figures in Europe and America. Charles Lee (1732 - 1782) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He also served earlier in the British Army during the Seven Years War. He sold his commission after the Seven Years War and served for a time in the Polish Crown Army. Although Lee was generally acknowledged at the Second Continental Congress to be the most capable candidate for the command of the Continental Army, the role was given to George Washington. Lee recognized the sense of giving the position to a native-born North American, but expected to be given the role of second-in-command. He was not. Twelvemo. 439 pages. Old bookplate from John Rutherford of Edgerston. John Rutherfurd of Edgerston (1748 – 1834) was a Scottish soldier and politician. He becoming the Member of Parlement for Roxburghshire in 1806-1812. Front gutter is weakening but still firmly attached. Mild cover wear on the leather edges. See images.