Of course, Robert E. Lee freed the slaves of his father-in-law, George 
Washington Custis (name?)  Lee was named in Custis's will as Executor. 
Indeed, Lee had to request a safe conduct through Union lines in northern 
Virginia to carry out his legal duties;  as the site of the legal action was 
Arlington, Virginia which was occupied by the Union.

This demonstrates that Robert E. Lee was faithful to familial and legal 
duties, it does not demonstrate that he was "...a great white man who freed 
his slaves."

Understanding history requires more than passion.  It requires a diligence 
for accumulating knowledge and considerable intellectual discipline.  I say 
this not in regard to "amateurs" in history but in regard to Ph.Ds in many 
other fields, who often assume that their mastery of their own fields means 
that history is an easy nut to crack.
I find many more historical errors in scholarly papers written by folks in 
other disciplines than by non-professionals interested in history.

Harold S. Forsythe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 10:48 AM
Subject: Re: Slave Narrative for WPA Project


>I can name a great white man who freed his slaves......Robert E. Lee, a
> Virginian and perhaps our greatest American in terms of his piety, 
> courage,
> dedication to the State of Virginia and duty as he saw it, and as a 
> military
> genius and revolutionary educator.
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