"On the contrary yet again, Lee's father-in-law died in the summer of 1857. Lee manumitted the slaves on the last day of December 1862."
Did he have to do that? His father-in-law's will said that he wanted them freed after five years, but was that legally binding?
"I was raised by one of the greatest men in the world. There was never one born of a woman greater than Gen. Robert E. Lee".
I believe that wills are binding so long as they don't require something be done that was illegal. Unlike some other southern states manumission was not illegal in Virginia. However, the freed slaves had 12 months in which to leave Virginia or else they could be sold into slavery again. No doubt that was the reason why Lee paid passage for some of his former slaves back in the 1840's or 50's.