Harvey Lee

Who was Harvey Lee?

Harvey Lee was a lawyer, politician, judge and soldier. He was Captain of a company of Illinois Volunteers in the Mexican–American War and Lieutenant Colonel of California Volunteers in the American Civil War.

During the Mexican–American War Harvey Lee from Fayette County, Illinois was a Captain of a company from Alton, Illinois, in the 2nd Illinois Volunteers; for the war with Mexico from August 1847 until the Regiment disbanded July 1848. His unit saw no fighting but was part of the garrison of Tampico.

Lee came to California after the Mexican War, and practiced as a lawyer in Benicia, California. On September 13, 1853 he was married to Mary Ferguson, of Benecia. In 1858 he was elected a member of California State Assembly, for the 18th District in Amador County. He was then appointed as recorder of the California Supreme Court in 1858-59 by the Assembly, unlike all previous recorders who had been appointed by the court.

The court was not happy with this new arrangement. Justice Stephen Johnson Field later commented that Lee’s work was so defective that the judges sought to have the new law repealed and the appointing authority returned to the court.