Samuel Phillips Lee

Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee
Portrait of Lee by Thomas Sully, 1845
Born	(1812-02-13)February 13, 1812 Fairfax County, Virginia
Died	June 7, 1897(1897-06-07) (aged 85) Silver Spring, Maryland
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1825–1873
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	USS Vandalia USS Oneida North Atlantic Blockading Squadron Mississippi River Squadron
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War American Civil War
Relations	Lee family

Samuel Phillips Lee (February 13, 1812 – June 7, 1897) was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy. In the American Civil War, he took part in the New Orleans campaign, before commanding the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, covering the coastlines and inland waters of Virginia and North Carolina, and finally the Mississippi River Squadron. As a cousin of Robert E. Lee, his refusal to join the Confederates demonstrated the extent to which the war had divided families. Lee married the daughter of Francis P. Blair, Sr., and their house in Washington is now the president’s official guest house.

Lee was born at "Sully" in Fairfax County, Virginia to Francis Lightfoot Lee II and Jane Fitzgerald. He was the grandson of Richard Henry Lee, great-nephew of Francis Lightfoot Lee I, brother-in-law of Francis Preston Blair, Jr., and of Montgomery Blair, and was third cousin of Robert E. Lee. He was appointed a midshipman in the U.S. Navy in November 1825 and subsequently saw extensive service at sea, including combat action during the Mexican–American War and exploration, surveying and oceanographic duty. At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, he held the rank of commander and was captain of the sloop of war Vandalia in the East Indies, sailing her home on his own initiative to join the blockade of the Southern coast. Commander Lee commanded the new steam sloop Oneida during the New Orleans campaign and subsequent operations on the Mississippi River in the first half of 1862. Lee became well known in Washington society due to the influence of his wife, the former Elizabeth Blair, of Maryland.