There were other telltale signs of a duplicitous heart. In the famous Battle of Monmouth, George Washington sent Lee to capture the British as they planned on leaving Philadelphia to embark for New York. Rather than follow a golden opportunity to capture the British, he led the Americans on a retreat. The Marquis de Lafayette, one of George Washington's most trusted and brilliant military commanders, reported the treacherous behavior directly to Washington. Washington, overwhelmed with anger, rode to the front lines of Monmouth stopping the retreat. Due to this, General Lee was court martialed. Prior to this, Washington had renamed Fort Constitution "Fort Lee". Lee managed to give up this fort to the British as well. At Valley Forge, Washington required all his officers to give an oath of loyalty. Lee refused to do so, hiding his duplicity under a ruse that he held the Prince of Wales in esteem, although not King George. Even to death, the signs of Lee's disloyalty were evident. He made a request not to be buried in an an American churchyard because "I have kept up such bad company when living, that I do not choose to continue it when dead." Despite this, he is still buried today at the cemetery of Christ Church in Philadelphia.
Yet schoolchildren to this day study General Charles Lee as a patriotic figure who served alongside General George Washington, while suspecting the laudable patriot Aaron Burr of disloyalty (which recent scholarship on the treason trial once again brings to light the preposterous nature of such a charge for such a proven military hero and statesman). What would George Washington had done if had he been alive to see the traitorous Lee papers discovered among British General William Howe's effects 95 years later ? Undoubtedly he would have wanted to see a trial and hanging as he wished for Benedict Arnold. Washington was even responsible for a failed attempt at capturing Benedict Arnold to prove a lethal point to possible defectors during the Revolution. So how did this happen ? It was only natural that Washington wanted on his staff - experienced, battle proven military leaders. Charles Lee's resume and experience fit that bill. A resume; however, does not reveal one's heart. Washington served his country insisting on no pay, Lee refused to serve without compensation and managed to get the nearly bankrupt Continental Congress to agree to pay him $30,000.00. The lesson of General Charles Lee lies herein, it is unwise to trust someone based merely on their resume, experience or curriculum vitae. Washington proved that blindly and naively trusting a military pedigree does not ensure one's loyalty and good intentions. A person's heart, values and morals are just as important to their predicted behavior (in this case leadership) as one's qualifications. One thing is for certain, Washington did not suspect Lee's deception. He even attended Lee's funeral in Philadelphia in 1782. Washington's men of big heart did not suspect Lee of the same good intentions however. Military officer John Laurens,
aid de camp to Washington, injured Lee in a duel, with Alexander Hamilton preventing Laurens from killing him. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, one of Washington's most courageous officers, also challenged Lee to a duel.
aid de camp to Washington, injured Lee in a duel, with Alexander Hamilton preventing Laurens from killing him. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, one of Washington's most courageous officers, also challenged Lee to a duel.
As the nation ages, and more historical research and documentation comes to light, I do hope that we, as a nation, can put the proper perspective on Charles Lee. Those who command respect must do so deservedly and with truth. Charles Lee's story is not one our history books properly report (particularly in light of the 1857 discovered spy papers). Actions do speak louder than words, and deception speaks the most about one's actions. The wisdom in all of this is, never naively trust. Even the greatest leaders are guilty of this. Lucky for America, we won the revolution in spite of Charles Lee.