"We know from the historical record that Lee regarded slavery as an 'evil,' that he had no slaves of his own, only those he inherited and whom he freed before the Emancipation Proclamation became law"
 

 "In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country. ... I think it however a greater evil to the white than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, ...How long their subjugation may be necessary is known & ordered by a wise Merciful Providence. Their emancipation will sooner result from the mild & melting influence of Christianity, than the storms & tempests of fiery Controversy. . . . While we see the Course of the final abolition of human Slavery is onward, & we give it all the aid of our prayers & all justifiable means in our power, we must leave the progress as well as the result in his hands who sees the end; who Chooses to work by slow influences; & with whom two thousand years are but as a Single day." 

   Lee's father-in-law- died in 1857 leaving a will that designated Lee as the executor of a complicated estate and ordered the emancipation of his slaves within five years of his demise. Lee set about the estate tasks, which were to occupy his time for several years, including the early war years. A number of Lee's letters touched on the manumission charge, among them one to his son Custis written on July 2, 1859, in which, referring to the slaves, he stated that his father-in-law had left him "an unpleasant legacy." ... Ultimately, on December 29, 1862, Lee effected the manumission pursuant to the will. Biographical references to Lee's manumission of the Custis slaves sometimes suggest that Lee's action is evidence of his disapproval of the institution of slavery. Bearing in mind that as executor he was obligated to free these slaves as a matter of Virginia law, his having done so seems a neutral fact in reference to his personal feelings about the institution. 

    "My name is Wesley Norris; I was born a slave on the plantation of George Parke Custis; after the death of Mr. Custis, Gen. Lee, who had been made executor of the estate, assumed control of the slaves, in number about seventy; it was the general impression among the slaves of Mr. Custis that on his death they should be forever free; in fact this statement had been made to them by Mr. C. years before; at his death we were informed by Gen. Lee that by the conditions of the will we must remain slaves for five years; I remained with Gen. Lee for about seventeen months, when my sister Mary, a cousin of ours, and I determined to run away, which we did in the year 1859; we had already reached Westminster, in Maryland, on our way to the North, when we were apprehended and thrown into prison, and Gen. Lee notified of our arrest; we remained in prison fifteen days, when we were sent back to Arlington; we were immediately taken before Gen. Lee, who demanded the reason why we ran away; we frankly told him that we considered ourselves free; he then told us he would teach us a lesson we never would forget; he then ordered us to the barn, where, in his presence, we were tied firmly to posts by a Mr. Gwin, our overseer, who was ordered by Gen. Lee to strip us to the waist and give us fifty lashes each, excepting my sister, who received but twenty; we were accordingly stripped to the skin by the overseer, who, however, had sufficient humanity to decline whipping us; accordingly Dick Williams, a county constable, was called in, who gave us the number of lashes ordered; Gen. Lee, in the meantime, stood by, and frequently enjoined Williams to 'lay it on well,' an injunction which he did not fail to heed; not satisfied with simply lacerating our naked flesh, Gen. Lee then ordered the overseer to thoroughly wash our backs with brine, which was done. After this my cousin and myself were sent to Hanover."

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
October 1, 1864.

 Lieut. Gen. U.S. GRANT,  Commanding Armies of the United States:

GENERAL: With a view of alleviating the sufferings of our soldiers, I have the honor to propose an exchange of the prisoners of war belonging  to the armies operating in Virginia, man for man, or upon the basis established by the cartel.
 

With much respect, your obedient servant,
 R. E. LEE, 
General.
 
 
 
 

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
October 2, 1864.

GENERAL: Your letter of yesterday proposing to exchange prisoners of war belonging to the armies operating in Virginia is received. I could not of a right accept your proposition further than to exchange those prisoners captured within the last three days and who have not yet been delivered to the Commissary-General of Prisoners. Among those lost by the armies operating against Richmond were a number of colored troops. Before further negotiations are had upon the subject I would ask if you propose delivering these men the same as white soldiers.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
 U.S. GRANT, 
Lieutenant-General.
 
 
 
 
 

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
October 3, 1864.

GENERAL: In my proposition of the 1^st instant to exchange the prisoners of war belonging to the armies operating in Virginia I intended to include all captured soldiers of the United States of whatever nation and color under my control. Deserters from our service and negroes belonging to our citizens are not considered subjects of exchange and were not included in my proposition. If there are any such among those stated by you to have been captured around Richmond they cannot be returned.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

 R. E. LEE, 
General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
October 3, 1864.

GENERAL: Your letter of this date is received. In answer I have to state that the Government is bound to secure to all persons received into her armies the rights due to soldiers. This being denied by you in the persons of such men as have escaped from Southern masters induces me to decline making the exchanges you ask. The whole matter, however, will be referred to the proper authority for their decision, and whatever it may be will be adhered to.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

 U.S. GRANT, 
Lieutenant-General.

 DEAR SIR: I have received your letter of the 7th instant, and ... will endeavor to answer them by a statement of my views on the subject. ... Considering the relation of master and slave, . . . as the best that can exist between the white and black races . . . I would deprecate any sudden disturbance of that relation . . . Should the war continue under existing circumstances, the enemy may in course of time penetrate our country and get access to a large part of our negro population. It is his avowed policy to convert the able-bodied men among them into soldiers, and to emancipate all. . . . I think, therefore, we must decide whether slavery shall be extinguished by our enemies and the slaves be used against us, or use them ourselves at the risk of the effects which may be produced upon our social institutions. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
 

R. E. LEE, 
General.

 "You will never prosper with the blacks, and it is abhorrent to a reflecting mind to be supporting and cherishing those who are plotting and working for your injury, and all of whose sympathies and associations are antagonistic to yours ... our material, social, and political interests are naturally with the whites." 

  "The Radical party are likely to do a great deal of harm, for we wish now for good feeling to grow Up between North and South. ... The relations between the negroes and the whites were friendly formerly, and would remain so if legislation be not passed in favor of the blacks, in a way that will only do them harm." 

Robert E. Lee: "I think it would be better for Virginia if she could get rid of them. That is not a new opinion with me. I have always thought so." 

Committee: [Is] "Virginia absolutely injured and its future impaired by the presence of the black population there" 

Robert E. Lee: "I think it is."