Fitz Lee (Medal of Honor)

Fitz Lee (June 1866 – September 14, 1899) was a Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Tayacoba in the Spanish–American War.

Biography

Lee joined the Army from his birthplace of Dinwiddie County, Virginia, and by June 30, 1898 he was serving as a Private in Troop M of the 10th Cavalry Regiment. On that day, American forces aboard the Florida near Trinidad, Cuba, dispatched a landing party to provide reconnaissance on Spanish outposts in the area. The party was discovered by Spanish scouts and came under heavy fire; their boats were sunk by enemy cannon fire, leaving them stranded on shore.

The men aboard the Florida launched several rescue attempts; the first four were forced to retreat under heavy fire. The fifth attempt, manned by Lee and three other Privates of the 10th Cavalry (Dennis Bell, William H. Thompkins and George H. Wanton) under the command of Lieutenant Ahern, launched at night and successfully found and rescued the surviving members of the landing party. One year later, on June 23, 1899, four of the rescuers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in what had come to be known as the Battle of Tayacoba.

Fitz Lee died less than three months after receiving the medal; he was buried in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth County, Kansas.

Medal of Honor citation

Private Lee's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts had been frustrated.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War
• List of African American Medal of Honor recipients

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

• "Fitz Lee". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-01-22. 

• "War with Spain Medal of Honor recipients". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2007-01-22. 

• "Fitz Lee". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved August 28, 2011. 

Buffalo Soldiers Predecessors United States Colored Troops Bureau of Colored Troops Original units 9th Cavalry Regiment 10th Cavalry Regiment 24th Infantry Regiment 25th Infantry Regiment Medal of Honor recipients (1866–1918) Edward L. Baker, Jr. Dennis Bell Thomas Boyne Benjamin Brown George Ritter Burnett Louis H. Carpenter John Denny Clinton Greaves Henry Johnson George Jordan Fitz Lee Isaiah Mays William McBryar Thomas Shaw Emanuel Stance Freddie Stowers William H. Thompkins Augustus Walley George H. Wanton Moses Williams William Othello Wilson Brent Woods Notable battles (1866–1918) American Indian Wars Saline River Texas–Indian wars Beecher Island Wichita I Beaver Creek North Fork Red River War Wichita II Apache Wars Victorio Campaign Fort Tularosa Bannock Uprising Yaqui Uprising Bear Valley Spanish–American War Las Guasimas Tayacoba El Caney San Juan Heights Santiago Philippine–American War Moro Rebellion Border War Pancho Villa Expedition Carrizal Ambos Nogales World War I Third Battle of the Aisne Second Battle of the Marne Meuse-Argonne Offensive Oise-Aisne Offensive See also Wham Paymaster Robbery Brownsville Affair Bisbee Riot United States Armed Forces Military history of African Americans