Veteran in crisis? Dial 988 then press 1 · Text 838255 Next observance: Navy Birthday · October 13
Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Fitz Lee

Private Fitz Lee, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on June 30, 1898 in Tayabacoa, Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Spanish-American War June 30, 1898

Private Fitz Lee was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 30, 1898 in Tayabacoa, Cuba during the Spanish-American War. At the time he was serving with Troop M, 10th U.S. Cavalry. Lee was about 32 years old.

4 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on June 23, 1899.

Lee was born in June 1866 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. His Medal of Honor is credited to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Lee died on September 14, 1899 in Leavenworth, Kansas, at the age of about 33. He is buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Lee is one of 110 Medal of Honor recipients from the Spanish-American War and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.

★ Rescue & Lifesaving

Official Medal of Honor citation

Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts had been frustrated.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Battles and campaigns

1898 · Spanish-American War

Battle of Tayacoba

Result: Spanish victory

3 Medal of Honor recipients

Also served in: Spanish–American War.

Places

  • Born: Dinwiddie County — map
  • Buried: Kansas — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Pennsylvania →

Timeline

  1. June 1866
    Born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia
  2. June 30, 1898
    Act of valor — Tayabacoa, Cuba
    Age about 32. Troop M, 10th U.S. Cavalry
  3. June 23, 1899
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. September 14, 1899
    Died in Leavenworth, Kansas
    Age about 33.
  5. Resting place
    Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery
    Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Biography

Fitz Lee (June 1866 – September 14, 1899) was an American soldier who served as a cavalryman in the United States Army from 1889 to 1899. An African-American Buffalo Soldier, Lee is a recipient of the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—due to his actions at the Battle of Tayacoba during the Spanish–American War. Since 2025, Lee has been the namesake of the Fort Lee army base in Virginia.

From the Wikipedia article “Fitz Lee (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Named in his honor

Further reading

Also honored for actions on June 30, 1898

Dennis Bell Private · Army Spanish-American War · 1898 FM Frederick Muller Mate · Navy Spanish-American War · 1898 WT William H. Thompkins Private · Army Spanish-American War · 1898 GW George Henry Wanton Private · Army Spanish-American War · 1898

More Spanish-American War recipients from Pennsylvania

UB Ulysses G. Buzzard Private · Army Spanish-American War · 1898 AQ Alexander M. Quinn Sergeant · Army Spanish-American War · 1898 WC William Adolphus Crouse Watertender · Navy Spanish-American War · 1898 John Henry Quick Sergeant · Marine Corps Spanish-American War · 1898 GM George Mahoney Fireman First Class · Navy Spanish-American War · 1898 PJ Peter Johnson Fireman First Class · Navy Spanish-American War · 1898
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.