LIGHT HORSE HARRY LEE

1-202430

'Light Horse Harry' Lee of Virginia was one of George Washington's handpicked young officers and advisers in the field. Later, he became a lifelong friend. With his superb leadership instincts, George Washington used the best capabilities of men as different as Lee and John Eager Howard. His troop commanders were highly effective throughout the Revolutionary War in extracting victory from the jaws of defeat.

Lee's career as a Revolutionary War Cavalryman is a story of daring raids, brilliant exploits, and constant danger. Congress awarded Lee a Gold Medal in 1779, the only such award given to an officer below the rank of General during the war.

His Legion of Cavalry formed the vanguard of the impenetrable screen, which enabled the Southern Army to elude the British in the Race to the Dan in 1781; he was constantly in the saddle during the Southern Campaigns of 1780-81. Lee's bold strokes were reflected in the unrivaled, aggressive maneuvers that his son, Robert E. Lee, would execute during the Civil War. His flamboyant style in combat was quite different from the first subject of this series-the stoic, taciturn infantry commander, John Eager Howard.

Includes five maps, illustrations, notes, bibliography, and index.