Charles Lee (Attorney General)
| Charles Lee | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 3rd United States Attorney General | |
|
In office December 10, 1795 – February 19, 1801 |
|
| President |
George Washington John Adams |
| Preceded by | William Bradford |
| Succeeded by | Levi Lincoln |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1758 Leesylvania, Virginia, British America |
| Died | June 24, 1815 (aged 56–57) Fauquier County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) |
Charles Lee (1758 – June 24, 1815) was an American lawyer from Virginia. He served as United States Attorney General from 1795 until 1801 and Secretary of State ad interim from May 13, 1800, to June 5, 1800.
Charles was born to Henry (1730–1787) and Lucy (Grymes) Lee on his father's plantation of Leesylvania in Prince William County, Virginia. He was the third of eleven children and a younger brother of General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, making him the uncle of Robert E. Lee. Another brother was Congressman Richard Bland Lee. A third cousin was Zachary Taylor. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in 1775, and then read law with Jared Ingersoll in Philadelphia before returning to Virginia.
Charles married Anne Lee (December 1, 1770 – September 9, 1804), his second cousin and the daughter of Richard Henry Lee (his first cousin once removed), in 1789. Before her death in 1804 the couple had six children; Anne Lucinda Lee (1790–1845), infant son (Arthur) Lee (1791–1791), Richard Henry Lee (February–March 1793), Charles Henry Lee (b. October 1794), William Arthur Lee (September 1796 – 1817), and Alfred Lee (1799–1865). He married a second time in 1809, to Margaret Scott (1783–1843), and had three more children in this union; Robert Eden Lee (1810–1843), Elizabeth Gordon Lee (1813–1892), and Alexander Lee (1815–1815).
President George Washington appointed Lee the Attorney General after William Bradford died in office. After Senate approval he took office on December 10, 1795, and served through the rest of the administration. He was continued in office by John Adams and served through the entire Adams administration until February 19, 1801.
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