Campaigns · Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Cane River Crossing
HistoryCentral · Primary Source & History GENERAL HAMILTON PRIOLEAU BEE, CSA VITAL STATISTICS BORN: 1822 in Charleston, SC. DIED: 1897 in San Antonio, TX. CAMPAIGNS: Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Cane River Crossing. HIGHEST RANK ACHIEVED: Brigadier General. BIOGRAPHY Hamilton Prioleau Bee was born on July 22, 1822, in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1835, his family moved to Texas. As a young man, Bee developed an interest in public service.
He began as secretary to the US-Texas Boundary Commission. In 1846, he became secretary of the first Texas senate, serving as a Democrat. Bee went on to become a clerk for the Texas Republic's comptroller; and as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, serving as speaker for one term. Bee fought in the Mexican War, as one of the Texas Rangers, and attained the rank of 1st lieutenant. In 1861, he enlisted in the state militia as brigadier general in Texas' provisional army at Brownsville.
His brother, Lt. Col. Barnard E. Bee, died in 1861, a day after giving Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson his famous nickname, "Stonewall." In 1862, Hamilton Bee was commissioned brigadier general in the Confederate Army, in which capacity he administered the cotton-munitions trade with Europe. When Union troops, under General Banks, fell upon the Confederate command at Brownsville in November of 1863; Bee managed to save about $1 million in stores and ammunition.
In 1864, Bee commanded Texas cavalry regiments, three of which helped stop General Banks' Red River Campaign at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. Two horses were shot under Bee, and he was wounded in the face. Nevertheless, he was censured for having allowed Banks to escape at Cane River Crossing. According to Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, Bee had "displayed great personal gallantry, but no generalship." Later in the war, Bee served with Maj.
Gen. Samuel B. Maxey and Maj. Gen. John A. Wharton. After the Civil War, Bee lived in Mexico, then returned to the United States. He moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1876, where he died on October 3, 1897.