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About Col. William Robertson McKee
Col William Robertson McKee Memorial Photos Flowers Edit Share Birth: Sep. 29, 1808 Kentucky, USA Death: Feb. 23, 1847 Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico
Mexican-American War Officer. A member of the prominent McKee family from Kentucky, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1829, the same class as Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston. During the War with Mexico, he served for the United States Army and commanded the 2nd Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers, also known as the 2nd Kentucky Foot Regiment. He was killed on the second day of the Battle of Bueana Vista on February 23, 1847, the last major engagement of the war. At the battle, he defended his position against Mexican General Santa Anna with Captain Braxton Bragg's battery and Colonel John J. Hardin's 1st Illinois Regiment. McKee was severely wounded and fell near the end of the battle. He stuggled to keep up the fight until he was overpowered by enemy forces and bayonetted to death. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Clay, Jr., the regiment's second in command, was also killed at the battle near the place that McKee fell. Several monuments were later erected in Kentucky to honor those who had fallen at the battle including those at Midway, and the cemeteries at Battle Grove and Frankfort. His grandfather, William McKee, participated in Lord Dunmore's Campaign at the Battle of Point Pleasant against the Shawnee in 1774. His father, Samuel McKee, was a Congressman from Kentucky. His son, Hugh Wilson McKee, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, was killed in 1871 while leading a detachment of soldiers over the walls of a Korean fort on Ganghwa Island during the U.S. and Korea Campaign in 1871. (bio by: K Guy)
narriage place also given as [Lancaster, Garrard,Ky
Mexican War Units from the Mercer Co., Ky area - - SECOND REGIMENT OF KENTUCKY - FOOT VOLUNTEERS Colonel: William R. McKee 8th Company C - Ky Foot Volunteers Enrolled at Lawrenceburg, May 23, 1846, by Capt John H. M cBrayerMustered: In Jun 9, 1846, Louisville, Ky. & Out Jun 8, 1847, New Orleans 9th Company D - Ky Foot Volunteers Enrolled at Danville, May 20,1846, by Capt. Speed S. Fry Mustered: In Jun 9, 1846, Louisville, Ky. & Out Jun 9, 1847, New Orleans 10th No Company Number Listed - Ky Foot Volunteers Roll of Capt Philip B.Thompson's Company Enrolled May 19, 1846, at Harrodsburg, Ky. by Capt. P.B. Thompson Mustered: In Jun 9, 1846, L ouisville, Ky. & Out Jun 8, 1847, New Orleans.
Burying the Dead
The trustees of the City of Frankfort appropriate $200 and Franklin County matched that amount to bring the bodies of the men of Franklin County back home. Major Ben C. Milam, along wit h Mr. Ruben A. Hawkins, who had agreed to return to Mexico and identify the graves of the men whom he had buried there. The bodies of John Sanders, John Ellingwood, James Seston, Majo r Updike, L. B. Bartlett, Henry Wolf, W. Blackwell, J. J. Thorp, H. Edwards, A. Goodpaster, E noch Burton and Robert Latta were received at Frankfort by the returned volunteers under Majo r Milam and Captain Chambers and the McKee Guards, under Captain Crittenden. They were buried in the State ground at Frankfort on Thursday, September 16, 1847, with military honors. O n July 27, 1847, the burial of the remains of Colonel. William R. McKee, Lieutenant Colonel H enry Clay, Captain William T. Willis, Adjutant E. P. Vaughn, Lieutenant Joseph Powell, W. W . Bayless, William Thwaits, N. Ramsey, Thomas Weigert, Alex G. Morgan, C. Jones, H. Carty, Mc H. Dozier, H. Trotter, C. B. Thomas, and W. T. Green, the honored Kentuckians, who were kille d at the Battle of Buena Vista.
McKee-Clay Flag Battle Flag of the 2nd Regiment of Foot Kentucky Volunteers
This flag was made by the young ladies of Franfort and presented to Captain Frank Chambers when his Franklin County Company of Infrantry left here June 5, 1846, on the steamer, Blue Wing. The presentation was made by Mr.s Eliza Shannon Harlan, mother of Justice John M. Harlan, in behalf of those who made it.
Shortly after the group reached Louisville and was mustered in as Company ‘B’ Second Kentucky Foot Volunteers, Colonel Willm R. Mc Kee adopted the flag as the Regimental Flag “and ever after it occupied its appropriate place in the center of the Regiment, born by Sergeant William F. Gaimes of Georgetowon”.
The flag was riddled by gun fire at the Battle of Buena Vista, February 23, 1847, whon both Colonle Mc Kee and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Clay Jr., lost their lives and practically every field officer of the Regiment was killed. It was twice recaptured from the enemy at this battler.
At the close of the campaign it was returned to Kentucky and presented to the General Assembly with appropriate ceremonies on January 27, 1848. The principal address was made by General Leslie Combs, member from Fayeyte County, on behalf of Major C. H. Fry and the surviving men of the Regiment.
The number of stars indcates that this flag was made after July 4, 1818, and before July 4, 1819. Had it been made just prior to the presentation in 1846 it should have had 28 stars (the star for Texas having not been added until July 4, 1846).
This fllag was restored in the name of the Kentucky Society Sons of the American Revolution, by. Mr. R. C. Ballard Thurston. A reproduction flag was also made by Mr. Thurston. – Vol.40-1 pg. 8 Kentucuy Ancestors.
He was educated at West Point graduated, 1829; Lt. 3rd,Reg. Of Artillery till 1836; Mexican War, Col. 2nd. Ky. Reg. Inf. He d. 23 Feb. 1847.
RECORD
1. George Wilson McKee, McKees of Virginia and Kentucky, the, Pittsburgh, J. B. Richards, 1891, pg.
COLONEL WILLIAM ROBERTSON m'kee.
Cullum's Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U. S. Military Academy, West Point. N. Y.. gives on page 343. vol. 1, the
following record :
- WILLIAM R. m'kEE.
- (Born Ky.) Ap'd Ky.
Military History. Cadet at the U. S. Military Academy from July 1, 1825, to July 1, 1829, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to
Bv't Second Lieut. 3d Artillery, July, 1, 1829. Second Lieut. 3d Artillery, July 1, 1829. Served : in garrison at Ft. Preble, Maine, 1829-33. On Engineer duty, Mar. 18. (First Lieut. 3d Artillery, Aug. 13, 1836.) 1833, to June 28. 1836; and in operations in the Creek Nation, 1836.
Resigned, Sept. 15, 1836. Civil History. Asst. Engineer of Charleston, S. C, Louisville. Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio, projected Railroad. 1836-38. Counsellor at Law, Lexington. Ky.. 1838-44. Chief Engineer of Frankfort and Lexington Railroad, Ky., 1844-46.
Military History. Served in the War with Mexico, 1846-47 as Colonel, 2d Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, June 9, 1846, being engaged in the Battle of Buena Vista, where, while gallantly leading a charge of his regiment he was
Killed. Feb. 23, 1847; Aged 39. Col. William K. McKee was married to Jane Wilson at West Alexandria, Washington County, Pa., April 27. 1836. He had met her in Pennsylvania, when he was a young lieutenant of artillery on engineering duty connected with the construction of the National Road. She was the granddaughter of the Rev. Colin McFarquhar, pastor of the Donegal Church, during the Revolutionary War. Of naturally a bright and sunny disposition, she possessed ureal talent, and was universally beloved for the generous sympathies of her heart, and the many Christian virtues that adorned her character. Her life was clouded with sorrow her husband and son having been killed in battle, and her only daughter dying in her early womanhood but she bore up bravely and with christian resignation to the end. She died at the residence of her son. Major George W. McKee, U. S. Army, Allegheny Arsenal, Pa,, September 9, 1888, aged 70.
FAMILY OF COL. WILLIAM ROBERTSOX m'kEE AND HIS WIFE, JANE m'kEE.
Martha Robertson McKee, born August 2d, 1837; died November 15th, 1873.
George Wilson McKee, born March 29th, 1842.
Hugh Wilson McKee, born April 23d, 1844 ; killed June 11th, 1871, at the storming of the Citadel, "Fort McKee, Kang Hoa Island, Corea. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy, June. 1866.
Martha Robertson McKee was married to Stephen E. Jones. ovember 12th, 1856. Their children were :
- Alice Lafon Jones, born December 21st. 1800.
- Hugh McKee Jones, born September 4th, 1862; died October 2d, 1881.
- Annie Barklev Jones, born December 9th, 1865.
- Stephen Edward Jones, born March 15th, 1870.
Mexican-American War Officer. A member of the prominent McKee family from Kentucky, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1829, the same class as Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston. During the War with Mexico, he served for the United States Army and commanded the 2nd Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers, also known as the 2nd Kentucky Foot Regiment. He was killed on the second day of the Battle of Bueana Vista on February 23, 1847, the last major engagement of the war. At the battle, he defended his position against Mexican General Santa Anna with Captain Braxton Bragg's battery and Colonel John J. Hardin's 1st Illinois Regiment. McKee was severely wounded and fell near the end of the battle. He stuggled to keep up the fight until he was overpowered by enemy forces and bayonetted to death. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Clay, Jr., the regiment's second in command, was also killed at the battle near the place that McKee fell. Several monuments were later erected in Kentucky to honor those who had fallen at the battle including those at Midway, and the cemeteries at Battle Grove and Frankfort. His grandfather, William McKee, participated in Lord Dunmore's Campaign at the Battle of Point Pleasant against the Shawnee in 1774. His father, Samuel McKee, was a Congressman from Kentucky. His son, Hugh Wilson McKee, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, was killed in 1871 while leading a detachment of soldiers over the walls of a Korean fort on Ganghwa Island during the U.S. and Korea Campaign in 1871. (bio by: [fg.cgi?page=mr&MRid=46886706" target="_blank K Guy)]
- Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: May 19 2017, 23:37:45 UTC
- Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Mar 20 2019, 3:56:36 UTC
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Col. William Robertson McKee's Timeline
| 1808 |
September 29, 1808
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Garrard County, Kentucky, USA
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| 1837 |
August 2, 1837
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Lexington, Fayette, Kentucky, United States
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| 1842 |
March 29, 1842
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Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, USA
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| 1844 |
April 23, 1844
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Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
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| 1847 |
February 23, 1847
Age 38
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Buena Vista, Mexico
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| ???? |
Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky USA
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