Benjamin Contee (1755 – November 30, 1815) was an American Episcopal priest and statesman from Maryland. He was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a delegate to the Confederation Congress, and member of the first United States House of Representatives. He was a descendant of the Lee Family of Virginia.
Contents
Early life
Contee was the son of Col. Thomas Contee (1729–1811) and Sarah Fendall (1732–1793). He was born at "Brookefield", near Nottingham, Prince George's County, Maryland, the home of his father, and original home of his ancestor, Maj. Thomas Brooke, Sr., Esq. (1632–1676).
Military and political career
At beginning of the Revolutionary War, Contee entered the Continental Army, rising to the rank of captain of the 3rd Maryland Regiment, which proved to be one of the army's elite units until its near annihilation at the Battle of Camden.