The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-21


The following extract from private
letter, by young man connected with
the Army of the Potomac 10 bis father
paints one of the representatives Of the
"master race" in an unenviable light.
The letter is dated Fort Albany, Virgin
ia, April 49,; Il0 4-kH
"Some time ago I called on one of Cen
Lees old slaves, to find outwhat | could
of that highly praised man. / am
going to see him again when an oppor
tunity presents itself. You know Gen.
Lee is considered an unadulterated T.,
Z. W He was the superlative of the
upper tendon of aristocratic and pre-
sumptuous Virginia. This slave, now
man, and Christian man too, is very
old and unable TO do much, consequently
he was left on the estate. OF course he
is extremely ignorant, but nevertheless
no is quite Intelligent, and can tell a
straightforward story as clearly as any
one.
General Lee was more dreaded by
his slaves than were any of his over
seers. His estate was immense. At
Arlington he owned Through his wife)
seven hundred acres in one lot, eleven
hundred acres in another, and otherl large
tracts in the state. He had four hum
dred slaves right here, how many more
elsewhere don't know. Thus you see
his possessions were very great" and
being 30 near Washington, \Georgetown,
and Alexandria, very valuable. lie
had carriages, plate, and all the equip
page of aproud Virginian aristocrat.
He was almost wOrshipped' by the gay,
the naughty, the renowned and the
gifted. His position was enyied, his
name honored.
"This slave had score Of sons and
daughters, One by one they were torn
from him, until now, in his helpless old
age, but one son and two daughters re-
MAINS One daughter and the son were
too young to be carried away the other
daughter was too smart to be entrapped.
II was really affecting TO hear this old
mantell his wrongs and his anguish at
parting with his. loved ones. He knew
they would have to be sold time,
he said, but they were my children and
could not help loving them Some were
seized in his presence, and sold before
his face, others were meanlv stolen at
night and hurried off without goodbye
blessing.
"One day the slaves had been worked
unusually hard. IL had rained furiously
all day (and know what Virginia rain
is), at evening they returned TO their
huts, wet, weary and hungry. This
family had nothing TO eat they had been
at work all day, and couldn't prepare
anything, and two of the boys went to
the brook to catch few fish. II was
dark, but they were seen and reported.
The aristocrAtic General Lee ordered
them TO be whipped alta certain hour the
nextday. All the slaves were assembled
TO see the ilogging. Four boys and a
girl were TO be logged 1t was done in
that barn and he pointed out the desc.
Grated building. Tho oyerseer dashed
away al the boys till their backs were
raw and bleeding. Next came the girl /;
her back was stripped and her hands
tied 80 that her feet could just touch the
tioor. The oVerseer gazed at her tor
tured form and hesitated. Lee ordered
him 10 hog her. j can't do it, was the
reply. Again he ordered, and again the
everseer replied, Master, l can't whip a
woman Ice snatched the whip and
with his own hands flogged helpless
woman, which his Overseer had the man
Illness not TO do"