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To: Dick Bachert

Sorry, largely untrue or misleading.

The slaves you reference for Lee were actually not his property. They belonged to the estate of his father-in-law, for which he was executor. Pop died in 1857. The terms of his will mandated that the slaves be freed immediately if the estate could afford it, otherwise after five years.

Lee held them in bondage until the end of the period stated, freeing them only in 1862. Which was not his choice, it was mandated in the will.

Grant, OTOH, is known to have held title to only one slave. He freed him a couple of years before the war, at a time when his family was in serious financial straits, and a slave was worth something like a year’s average salary.

I have never seen any evidence at all that Sherman ever owned a slave. If you have some, feel free to post it.


26 posted on 06/30/2015 2:58:35 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan

That group of “myths and facts” does get some circulation on the Internet. I have seen it in a bunch of places, and is so widely spread that it is probably regarded as the gospel truth by some.


30 posted on 06/30/2015 8:41:12 PM PDT by rlmorel ("National success by the Democratic Party equals irretrievable ruin." Ulysses S. Grant.)
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