Early Life
Bee was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr., and Ann Wragg Fayssoux, both of whom came from prominent Charleston families of English descent. In 1833, the Bee family moved to Pendleton, South Carolina, where Bee attended the Pendleton Academy. In 1836, Bee's parents moved to Texas, but Bee remained in Pendleton living with his mother's three sisters to pursue his education. Bee graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1845, thirty-third in his class and assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry. He accumulated many demerits while at West Point, including several for chewing tobacco while on duty. Bee's first posting was to serve in the military occupation of Texas. He was twice brevetted for gallantry in the Mexican-American War, first at Cerro Gordo, where he was wounded, and then at Chapultepec.
After the Mexican-American War, Bee was posted to garrison duty at Pascagoula, Mississippi, where he served as adjutant. From 1849 to 1855, he was on frontier duty in New Mexico. Most of his time was spent at Fort Fillmore near Las Cruces, New Mexico. In 1855, Bee was promoted to captain of Company D of the Tenth Infantry and posted to Fort Snelling, Minnesota. While at Fort Snelling, he met and married Sophia Elizabeth Hill, the sister of a fellow officer. In 1857 Bee's company took part in the Utah War, where he was placed in command of the Utah Volunteer Battalion and brevetted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1860, Bee was posted to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and briefly served as the fort's commanding officer.
Read more about this topic: Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr.
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