Private Fitz Lee was born in June 1866 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, and joined the Army in 1889. In 1898, as the Army was mobilizing for war with Spain, Lee was serving as a private with the “Buffalo Soldiers” of the 10th Cavalry.
As the unit was boarding its transport ships bound for Cuba, Lee, along with 50 other troopers, was chosen for a special assignment behind enemy lines to reenforce and resupply Cuban fighters seeking liberation from Spanish rule.
On June 30, 1898, Cuban freedom fighters and some American volunteers aboard the U.S.S. Florida attempted an amphibious landing at Tayabacoa, Cuba. The landing party immediately engaged with Spanish soldiers from a nearby blockhouse. The Cubans and Americans retreated, leaving behind a group of wounded comrades.
After four failed attempts, U.S. commanders decided to try one last time to retrieve the survivors. Lee and three others answered the call. They rowed ashore amid intense small arms fire, and upon reaching the shore, located the survivors and brought them safely back to the U.S. fleet.
Lee's health declined quickly after the rescue mission. He received his Medal of Honor while he was in the hospital June 23, 1899 at Fort Bliss, Texas, and was medically discharged from the Army on July 5, 1899.
Lee moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, after discharge to live with fellow retired Buffalo Soldiers, Fitz Lee died at the home of a friend Sept. 14, 1899. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.
For more about Private Fitz Lee:
National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/people/fitz-lee.htm