▁H att ie ▁String f ellow , ▁separated ▁before ▁his ▁birth , ▁and ▁George ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁Ab ner ▁were ▁raised ▁by ▁their ▁mother , ▁who ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁share cro pper . ▁ ▁H att ie ▁Lee ▁soon ▁moved ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁nearby ▁Indian ola , ▁Mississippi , ▁a ▁more ▁populated ▁and ▁prosper ous ▁community . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁boy , ▁Lee ▁obtained ▁summer ▁employ ment ▁at ▁a ▁gro c ery ▁store ▁in ▁Indian ola , ▁but ▁was ▁subsequently ▁fired ▁by ▁the ▁white ▁owner ▁who ▁was ▁press ured ▁by ▁white ▁pat rons ▁to ▁h ire ▁white ▁staff . ▁ ▁Lee ▁entered ▁Alc orn ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Mechan ical ▁College ▁in ▁L orm an , ▁Mississippi , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁recognized ▁for ▁his ▁academic ▁achiev ement . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁Lee ▁moved ▁to ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee , ▁where ▁he ▁found ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁bell h op ▁at ▁the ▁Gay oso ▁Hotel . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁hotel ' s ▁manager ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁Lee ▁demonstrated ▁his ▁skill ▁at ▁writing ▁and ▁composed ▁a ▁e ul ogy ▁to ▁his ▁former ▁b oss ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁a ▁M emph is ▁newspaper . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Lee ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁Fort ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁Pro vis ional ▁Army ▁Officer ▁Training ▁School ▁in ▁Iowa . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁qual ifying ▁exam in ations , ▁Lee ▁excel led ▁in ▁both ▁physical ▁skill ▁and ▁intelligence ,