BIOGRAPHY: Lee, Daniel S.
From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

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Honorable DANIEL  S. LEE was born October 16, 1817, on a farm in Genesee 
County, in the State of New York, where the largest portion of his 
boyhood and youth were passed in attending the common county school and 
assisting his father to cultivate the small farm on which he was born. 
When about fourteen years of age his mother died, and soon after the 
family was so broken up that young Daniel was thrown on his own 
resources at sixteen, and compelled thereafter to support himself 
entirely by his own exertions. He continued to follow farming summers, 
attending a select school each winter until he was twenty-one, when he 
entered Leroy Academy, where he remained two years, completing his 
academical education. During the Winter of 1841-2 he taught school, and 
in the following Spring left his native town with $22 in money and a 
small hand-satchel to seek his fortune and a home in the, to him, 
unexplored West. He traveled by railroad and stage to Buffalo, and by 
lake steamer to Cleveland, where he arrived in three days. After making 
an unsuccessful effort to find employment, he took passage on a canal 
packet boat for Akron, Ohio, where he arrived with only a five-franc 
piece of his $22 remaining. He immediately applied for a position as 
teacher in the public school, and was informed that they were in want of 
a teacher and would pay good wages, but that they would only pay such 
money as they had, which was not worth more than forty or fifty cents on 
the dollar. After studying over the matter a little he determined to 
start a select school, and circulating a subscription paper he received 
such encouragement that he opened with a good attendance on the 
following Monday morning. The same day he entered the office of 
Honorable William C. Dodge as a law student, where he continued to read 
for about four and a half years, carrying on his select school for two 
years and a half, when he was employed to take charge of the public 
schools which had been re-opened. He was admitted to the bar in the Fall 
of 1846, but did not enter into active practice until the following 
Spring, when he opened an office in Akron and began in earnest the 
practice of his chosen profession. He had neither books nor money, and 
met with the usual difficulties encountered by young attorneys, but by 
persevering industry, strict economy, and avoiding all bad habits and 
debts, he was enabled to live comfortably, and in time secured a good 
practice. In the Summer of 1851 he took a prospecting tour through 
Illinois and arriving at Dubuque, Iowa, in the latter part of September, 
remained during the Winter i the law office of Judge James Burt, and 
Governor Stephen Hempstead, except for three months, during which time 
he taught the first free school ever opened in the City of Dabuque. Was 
admitted to the bar of the Iowa Supreme Court, MArch 3, 1852, and a few 
days later started westward to seek a location for a permanent home. 
Arriving at Independence he was detained some two weeks by high water, 
during which time he became so pleased with the country that he 
determined to locate. Securing office room with the district clerk, he 
hung out his shingle and commenced business, having made arrangements to 
locate land and sell warrants for Clark & Bissell, of Dubuque, which 
proved a very profitable business to him during the next four or five 
years, in which time most of the land in Buchanan and the adjoining 
counties was entered. Having determined to locate he immediately sent 
for his wife, having the pervious Spring married Miss Fannie I. Brooks, 
of Northfield, Ohio, and soon after her arrival commenced housekeeping 
in a small log house, in which they remained a few months, securing a 
comfortable frame dwelling in the Fall. Both his law and real estate 
business were prosperous, increasing so rapidly that he was soon 
compelled to employ assistants, and  in 1855 he associated himself in 
the land brokerage and banking business with P.E and E.B. Older, with 
whom he started the first banking house in Independence, and for two
years did a profitable business, besides conducting an extensive law 
practice. The panic of 1857 found the firm in an exposed condition on 
account of the large amount of wild land they held on which it was 
impossible to realize ant thing. Mr. Lee amply secured all his creditor, 
and has since paid every dollar of his indebtedness, although it took 
nearly every thing he possessed, crippling him for life, and sweeping 
away his ample fortune, which, previous to the crash of 1857, must have 
reached nearly $50,000. 
    Although an earnest, enthusiastic Democrat all his life up to the 
breaking out of the late rebellion, he was one of the first to rally to 
the support of the general Government, and at a mass meeting held in the 
court house early in the Summer of 1861, made a rousing war speech, and 
closed by heading the list as the first volunteer in the county. He was 
afterwards principally instrumental in raising a full company, and was 
upon its organization unanimously elected its captain, and joining his 
fortunes with it, it became Company "E," of the 5th Regiment Iowa 
Infantry Volunteers, with which regiment he remained during the three 
years of service. He first served in Missouri under General Fremont, 
and was provost marshall at Booneville, Missouri, during a portion of 
the Winter of 1861-62. Was at Milligan's Bend, and at the evacuation of 
Island No.10, on the Mississippi River. Was with General Grant's army, 
and assisted in the capture of Forts Donaldson and Henry. Was engaged in 
the battles of Mission Ridge and Iuka, and took part in the storming of 
some of the fortifications surrounding Vicksburg, which resulted in the 
surrender of that city July 4, 1863. Was afterwards transferred to the 
Army of the Gulf, taking part in every battle in which the regiment was 
engaged, except, in one case, when he was too sick for duty. He served 
for some eight months on the staff of General Charles L. Matthies, and 
was mustered out in August, 1864. The same Fall he was elected the first 
Mayor of Independence; was re-elected the following year, but soon after 
resigned, not being able on account of pressure of business to properly 
perform the official duties. In the Fall of 1869 he was elected to 
represent his county in the lower House of Iowa General Assembly, and 
served through the thirteenth general session as a member of several 
important committees, and making many friends throughout the state. 
     Though never claiming to be a powerful lawyer, capable of 
remarkable efforts, yet he has been eminently successful, and is highly 
respected by a large circle who have known him intimately and well for 
many years.