Which U.S. military figure is associated with the storming of the arsenal at Harpers Ferry?

The figure associated with the storming of the arsenal at Harpers Ferry is Colonel Robert E. Lee. In October 1859, John Brown led an attempted raid to initiate a slave rebellion by seizing arms stored at the Harpers Ferry armory. At that time, Robert E. Lee was a colonel in the United States Army and was tasked with responding to the crisis. He led a contingent of U.S. Marines to successfully storm the arsenal, capture Brown, and bring the situation under control. This event is significant in American history as it heightened tensions surrounding the issue of slavery and contributed to the buildup toward the Civil War.

Understanding Lee's role in this pivotal moment highlights his military leadership and foreshadows his later prominence in the Civil War as a general for the Confederate Army. Each of the other figures mentioned in the options had their own notable military contributions but were not connected to the Harpers Ferry incident in the same way.