David Rubenstein's Donations to American History

Continued from the previous post.

This man has been very nice to history.  Over the past two decades, his donations have included:

$50 million to the Reach Addition of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

$20 million to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation outside Charlottesville, Va.

$10 million to James Madison's Montpeleier Estate in Orange, Virginia

$10 million to George Washington's Mt. Vernon

$18.5 million to the Lincoln Memorial

$12.3 million to Robert E. Lee's Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery

$10.5 million to the Washington Monument

$5.4 million to the Renwick Gallery

$5.37 million to the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial

$5 million to the visitor center at the White House

$4.5 million to the National Zoo's panda reproduction program

$1 million  to Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument.

Again, a Big Thank You to Mr. Rubenstein.  --Brock-Perry

The Family of Alexandrine Macomb Stanton and Henry Stanton

From Find-A-Grave.

She was another daughter of U.S. General-in-chief Alexander Macomb.  (1808-1889).  She married HENRY STANTON  (1779-1856).  He was an officer during the War of 1812, Seminole War and Mexican War.

Their children:

FRANCIS STANTON  (1838-1859)  May have been in military.  Was assistant engineer  who died of illness at Fort Yuma, California.

GEN. WILLIAM STANTON  (1843-1927)  With the 43rd Ohio during the Civil War.  Also Blackfoot War and Spanish-American War.

ROBERT LEE STANTON (1846-1932)  This name sure jumped off the page for me.  He was baptized  at St. John's Episcopal Church, the "Church of the Generals."  Captain Robert E. Lee was his Godfather.  I found no indication, however, that he was ever in the military.

--Brock-Perry

Henry Lee III-- Part 3: Politician and Marriages

Henry Lee organized the Virginia militia.  When war with Britain became imminent, Lee requested  asked President James Madison for a commission, but that didn't happen.

From 17886 to 1788, Lee was a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation and in 1788 a delegate  at the Virginia convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution.  From 1789 to 1791, he served in Virginia's General Assembly and then from 1791 to 1794, he was governor of Virginia.

Then, 1791 to 1801, he served as a U.S. Representative.  He gave a famous eulogy for former President Washington when he died. in 1799, with the words:  "First in war, First in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

He married twice and it was from the second one that Robert E. Lee was born.

--Brock-Perry

Major General Henry Lee III-- Part 1: "Light-Horse Harry"

From Wikipedia.

One of the men almost killed while defending Alexander Contee Hanson, was a hero of the American Revolution and owner of a famous nick-name.  He would be Henry Lee III.

(January 29, 1756-March 25, 1818)

Was ninth governor of Virginia and a U.S. representative from Virginia.  His service during the American Revolution earned him the nickname by which he is probably best known, "Light-Horse Harry."  Lee was also the father of the Civil War's Robert E. Lee.

--Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson-- Part 2: The Baltimore Riot

Undeterred by this, Hanson reissued the paper on July 28 from another building where he was joined by a group of armed friends to protect him.  When the mob came again, they besieged the building and Hanson and his group opened fire, killing two of the mob.

On the morning of July 29, Hanson and his group surrendered to Baltimore's local militia and were escorted to jail.

That evening, the mob came back and stormed the jail and Hanson was beaten and left for dead.    James Lingan, a military officer who came to Hanson's defense, died as a result of the violence.  Also, Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, hero of the American Revolution and father of future Confederate General Robert R. Lee, was there and was injured.

Alexander Hanson recovered, though, and moved his paper to Georgetown, District of Columbia, where he published it unmolested.  He later moved to Rockville, Maryland.

And You Think Things Are Bad Now?  At Least They Weren't Pulling Down Statues.  --Brock-Perry

Edward Johnson-- Part 2: Defender of Alexander Hanson and "Light-Horse Harry" Lee

His third term as mayor coincided with the War of 1812  Shortly after the outbreak of the war, despite his his strong anti-British sentiments and anti-Federalist political views, he was nearly killed unsuccessfully trying to stop a mob who had stormed Baltimore City Jail intent on lynching Alexander Hanson, publisher of an extreme Federalist newspaper.

One of the editor's allies was none other than Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee.  He was the father of Robert E. Lee of Confederate fame.

During the Battle of Baltimore, Johnson headed the Committee of Vigilance and Safety.  Even though General William Winder had command of Baltimore, he appointed General Samuel Smith to command American defenses of the city.

He continued with private and public work after the war.

--Brock-Perry

Charles Chocteau Gratiot-- Part 3

It was Gratiot who assigned Robert E. Lee to engineer the Mississippi River at St. Louis.  There had been a shift in the Mississippi River channel there which threatened to wipe out river traffic there.  Lee engineered a series of jetties which controlled the flow.

After that, he had a lengthy dispute with the War Department over benefits.  President Martin Van Buren dismissed him for failing to repay government funds entrusted to him.

Charles Gratiot died May 18, 1855, and his remains were interred at Section 13 of cavalry Cemetery in St. Louis.

The important Highway M-3 in Michigan, connecting Detroit and Port Huron is commonly called Gratiot Avenue..  Fort Gratiot in Michigan, which guards the mouth of the St. Clair River is named for him as well.

There are also towns named for him in Ohio and Michigan.

I Wonder If He's had a Book Written About Him?  --Brock-Perry

North Carolina's Fort Hampton-- Part 2: Replaced By Fort Macon

Fort Hampton was built between 1808 and 1809 and guarded Beaufort Inlet during the War of 1812.  There was no action that took place as the British elected not to attack Beaufort, the port which the fort protected.  It was garrisoned off and on until 1821.

Shore erosion and the Hurricane of 1825 swept the fort into Beaufort Inlet by 1826.

Today's Fort Macon replaced Fort Hampton.  Work on it began near Fort Hampton's site in 1821 and it was garrisoned by 1834.  Fort Macon and Hampton both protected the port of Beaufort, N.C., the state's only deep water port.

Robert E. Lee engineered a system of erosion control for Fort Macon in the 1840s.

The More You Know.  --Brock-Perry