In settling the Arlington estate of his father-in-law, George Washington Parke Custis, in 1857, Robert E. Lee confronted the political reality of slavery. He disliked the institution—more from its inefficiency than from its moral repugnance—yet defended it throughout his life. Custis, however, had liberated his slaves in a messy will that stipulated they be released within five years. Lee interpreted this to mean the slaves could be held for the entire period. The slaves, believing they were already free, accosted Lee and escaped in large numbers. Lee responded by hiring many away from Arlington, breaking up families that had been together for decades. He then filed legal petitions to keep the blacks enslaved indefinitely. Only when the courts ruled against him did Lee finally free the slaves. Lee again faced the volatile politics of slavery when ordered in October 1859 to suppress an attempted slave insurrection led by John Brown at Harpers Ferry. Commanding a small detachment of marines, Lee led a model operation, and Brown was taken alive. The ramifications of the disturbing incident were reinforced when Lee witnessed Brown’s ominous predictions of the bloodshed to come, and stood guard at his execution.
Further Reading:
Elizabeth Brown Pryor, Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee through His Private Letters (2007)
This Vignette Provided By
Elizabeth Brown Pryor, author of Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee through His Private Letters, winner of the 2008 Lincoln Prize and the 2007 Jefferson Davis Award.
