Quote:
Originally Posted by GA Russell
Quick! Who were the two most memorable generals of the Civil War? Right! Grant and Lee. Which one owned slaves during the war? Wrong! It was Grant.
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The technicalities seems a little more complex. According to
the National Park Service web site on Arlington House:
Quote:
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In his will, George Washington Parke Custis stipulated that all the Arlington slaves should be freed upon his death if the estate was found to be in good financial standing or within five years otherwise. When Custis died in 1857, Robert E. Lee—the executor of the estate—determined that the slave labor was necessary to improve Arlington's financial status. The Arlington slaves found Lee to be a more stringent taskmaster than his predacessor. Eleven slaves were “hired out” while others were sent to the Pamunkey River estates. In accordance with Custis's instructions, Lee officially freed the slaves on December 29, 1862.
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Much more could be discussed, but that might diverge into a topic for another forum.