Who was the U.S. consul in Havana whose request led to the USS Maine being sent?

Fitzhugh Lee was the U.S. consul-general in Havana associated with the decision to send USS Maine to Cuba. He held the post during the escalating Cuban crisis and reported on riots and threats to American lives and property.

Lee was a former Confederate cavalry general, the nephew of Robert E. Lee, and a former governor of Virginia. President Grover Cleveland appointed him consul-general in 1896, and President William McKinley retained him. His position made him a key American observer in Havana as Spain struggled to suppress the Cuban independence movement.

The usual account credits Lee’s reports and anticipated need for naval protection with helping prompt Maine’s deployment. The historical record is slightly more nuanced: Lee advised delaying or avoiding the visit, while McKinley and Navy officials ultimately ordered the battleship to Havana on January 24, 1898. Maine arrived the next day and exploded on February 15, helping drive the United States toward war.