In the middle of a war, despite the disruption of usual agricultural and labor markets, he managed to free his father in law’s slaves, pay off his debts, and complete the legal transfer of the plantations to his sons. He even had money (not in Confederate funny money) to pay his US taxes in specie, but was not allowed to, as the tax agent refused to accept the money from his agent, rather demanded that the principal pay in person. Lee had tried to settle the estate for years before the rebellion, with intact agricultural markets and the market for slave labor intact. The only explanation is he managed to sell off premium slaves who were not named in his father in law’s will. Where are the female slaves that were born in that time when he was executor? Missing from the books. Gone. Male slaves were born as usual, and documented as usual.
Another contributing fact: His documented “enthusiasm” for pursuing female slaves.
And to confirm, his own personal slave had 4 sons. The girls, once again, gone. No records of any female children having ever existed. Army pay when he was stationed in Texas was inadequate. He managed to live there well, and indeed was able to find ready cash to acquire his slave girl Nancy, and her 4 sons. And female breeding slaves were more valuable than males, as shown by market prices. So either he found some kind of money tree, and shook it occasionally, or he found some other kind of money tree, and shook it as he was able.
Where did brothels get their girls? It was a common place to get rid of slave girls who resembled the master a bit too much. Rape of slaves (with the permission of the master) was not even a crime, according to the honorable southern gentlemen.
So RE Lee was strictly honorable, according to the peculiar lights of the peculiar institution. It is embarrassing to today’s southern partisans, and should be.