70 CHARLES LEE 



about ,5000 in Virginia currency (equal to about 

 ^3000 sterling), an estate in Berkeley County, in the 

 Shenandoah valley, near that of his friend Horatio 

 Gates. He did not complete this purchase till the 

 last of May, 1775, while the second Continental Con- 

 gress was in session. A letter to Gates at this time 

 seems to indicate that he was awaiting the action of 

 the Congress, and did not finally commit himself to 

 the purchase until virtually sure of a high military 

 command. To pay for the estate he borrowed ^3000 

 of Robert Morris, to whom he mortgaged the property 

 as security, while he drew bills on his attorney in 

 England for the amount. On the i7th of June he 

 received as high a command as Congress thought it 

 prudent to give him, that of second major-general in 

 the Continental army. The reasons for making Wash- 

 ington commander-in-chief were generally convincing. 

 It was as yet only the four New England states that 

 had actually taken up arms, and in order to swell the 

 rebellion to continental dimensions it was indispensa- 

 ble that Virginia should commit herself irrevocably in 

 the struggle. For this reason John Adams was fore- 

 most in urging the appointment of Washington as 

 commander-in-chief. But as the only Continental army 

 at that moment existing was the force of sixteen thou- 

 sand New England men with which General Artemas 

 Ward was besieging Boston, it was not deemed polite 

 to place a second in command over Ward. Some of 

 Lee's friends, and in particular Thomas Mifflin, after- 

 ward active in the Conway cabal, urged that he should 

 at least have the first place after Washington; but John 

 Adams declared that, while the New England army 

 would cheerfully serve under Washington, it could not 



