Albert Lee was born on January 16, 1834, in Fulton, New York. He attended Union College in Schenectady, practiced law, then moved to the Kansas Territory in 1858 and settled in Elwood. He became a district judge in 1859 and a justice of the state supreme court in 1861, but resigned when the Civil War began and recruited a cavalry company. He was mustered into the 7th Kansas Cavalry as the regiment’s major on October 29, 1861; the 7th, known as “Jennison’s Jayhawkers,” became notorious for committing depredations against the civilian population in Missouri in late 1861 and early 1862.

Appointed a brigadier general on November 29, 1862, Lee became the chief of staff for General John McClernand. Wounded during the siege of Vicksburg, Lee became chief of cavalry in the Department of the Gulf after his recovery; he resigned his commission on May 4, 1865.

After the war, Lee engaged in business in Europe and New York City until his death on December 31, 1907.

Carte-de-Visite by J.Ford Morris, Fulton, N.Y.

Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 31694