What event took place under the command of Robert E. Lee in 1859?

The event that took place under the command of Robert E. Lee in 1859 was the storming of the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. This incident involved the raid led by John Brown, a white abolitionist who aimed to start a liberation movement among enslaved people in the South by seizing weapons from the federal armory. When the raid occurred, Robert E. Lee was ordered to respond as the commanding officer of U.S. Army forces in the area. He successfully led the military operation to capture Brown and his followers, which had significant implications for the escalating tensions leading up to the American Civil War.

This event is historically significant as it represented a critical confrontation over issues of slavery and rebellion, reinforcing the divisions between the North and South. The other options do not relate to events led or commanded by Lee in 1859, making the correct choice about Harper's Ferry the most accurate.