Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, 1855–57
Hamilton Prioleau Bee (July 22, 1822 – October 3, 1897) was an American politician in early Texas; he was secretary of the Texas Senate in 1846. He served nearly 10 years as representative to the state house beginning in 1849, and for one term as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
The two brothers both served as generals in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War; Barnard Jr. was killed early in the war at the Battle of First Bull Run.[1] Hamilton followed his father into politics in the Republic of Texas and the later state, serving in elective office for more than a decade in total.
After becoming established in the Texas legislature, at the age of 32 Bee married Mildred Tarver on May 21, 1854.[4] After marriage, they had ten children, including sons Barnard E. Bee and Carlos Bee, born while they were living in Mexico.[5] His grandson, Carlos Bee, was born in Berkeley, California and also became a politician. He was elected as mayor of Hayward, California and to the California State Assembly.
Bee was headquartered in Brownsville, where he facilitated the trade of cotton for munitions through Mexico. On November 4, 1863, he was forced to abandon Brownsville in the face of a Union expeditionary force under Major GeneralNathaniel P. Banks. Bee was transferred to a field command in 1864 under Lieutenant GeneralRichard Taylor in the Red River Campaign. In the Battle of Pleasant Hill, Bee had two different horses shot out from under him during a cavalry charge, but was only slightly wounded.[6] One of Bee's brigade commanders at this time was Arthur P. Bagby, Jr., who later replaced him in command. Later, despite intense criticism of his handling of his troops, Bee was given command of Thomas Green's division in Major General John A. Wharton's cavalry corps in February 1865. After that time, he commanded an infantry brigade in Brigadier General Samuel B. Maxey's division.[7]
Postbellum
After the war in 1869[8] during the Reconstruction era, Bee moved his family to Saltillo, Mexico. They lived in a self-imposed exile in Mexico until 1876. By then Democrats were regaining control of the Texas state legislature. He became a steward and superintendent of the farm at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now known as Texas A&M University. They returned to live in San Antonio, where Bee practiced law.[7] He was appointed the Texas Commissioner of the Office of Insurance, Statistics, and History (now the Texas Department of Insurance) for the 1885-1886 legislative term.[9]
After Bee died on October 3, 1897, he was buried in the Confederate Cemetery in San Antonio.[7]
^Eicher states the move date as 1839 but these appears to be an error as it differs from Barnard Elliott Bee Jr. from the Handbook of Texas Online and Bee Sr.'s participation in the Texas Revolution.