Charles Lee was missing two fingers from a duel, traveled with a pack of hounds, was adopted by the Mohawk who called him Boiling Water, and nearly became commander in chief instead of George Washington. This deep dive follows the British-born officer from the Braddock expedition through service in Portugal, Poland, and the Russo-Turkish War to his arrival in Virginia in 1773, convinced he was the only true professional soldier in America.

The episode explores how Lee was wrongly credited for the palmetto-log defense of Charleston he tried to abandon, his capture in his dressing gown at White’s Tavern, the treason plan he wrote for the Howe brothers, and the disastrous retreat at Monmouth. His insolent letters, court martial, duel with John Laurens, and dismissal show how raw talent without humility led to ruin.

• Why Congress chose Washington over the more experienced Lee
• How spongy palmetto logs saved Fort Sullivan despite Lee’s orders
• Capture at Basking Ridge and the controversial plan written in captivity
• The Battle of Monmouth and the confrontation with Washington
• Court martial, the duel with Laurens, and a lonely final decline