Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-05-27
VOL. Ono. 80.
GEN. LEE AND HIS SLAVES.
THE TENDER aERoIEs OF THE WICKED.

The following extract from a private letter,
written by young man connected with the
Amy of the Potomac to his father in Mas
sachusetts aud published iu the Boston jour
nal, gives some facts concerning the rebel
Gen. Lee and his treatment of his slaves,
which forcibly illustrate the brutalizing effects
of slavery. The letter is dated Fort Albany,
Virginia, April Is:
"Some time ago called on one of Gen.
Lees old slaves, to find out what I could Of
that highly praised man. am going to see
him again when opportunity presents itself.
You know Gen. Lee is considered an unaduI-
terated s.F. F. W. He was the superlative
of the upper tendon of aristocratic and pre-
sumptuous Virginia. This slave. now man,
and a christian man too, is very old and un-
able to do much, consequently he was left on
the estate. OF course he is extremely fgno.
rant, but nevertheless he is quite intelligent
and can tell straightforward story as clear
ly as any one.
ssGenersl Lee was more dreaded by his slaves
than were any of his overseers. His estate
was Immense. At Arlington he owned
(through his wife) seven hundred acres in one
itt, ettFtu HuuuEcu acres III d0CtutF, ana OIL
er large tracts in the State. He had four hun-
dred slaves right here; how many elsewhere
l don't know. Thus you see his possessions
were very great, and being so near Washing
ton. Georgetown and Alexandria, very valua-
BILE. He had carriages, plate, aud all the
equipage of a proud Virginian sristocrat.
He was 'salmost worshipped" by the gay, the
hand mad nd nil Hiay
tion was envied, his name honored.
This slave had score of sons and daugh-
ters. One by one they were torn from him,
until now, in his helpless old age, but one
son and two daughters remain. One daugh.
ter and the son were too young to be carried
away the other daughter was too smart to be
entrapped. 1t was really affecting to hear
this old man tell his wrongs and anguish at
parting with his loved ones. He "knew they
would have to be sold sometime,'' he said,
ssbut they were my children and / couldn't
help loving them-'' Some were seized In his
presence, and sold before his face; others
were n,eanly stolen at night and hurried of
without a goodbye blessing.
One day the slaves had been worked unusu-
ally hard. 1t had rained furiously all day
(and know what Virginia rain isl At
evening they returned to their huts, wet, wea-
ry and hungry. This family had nothing to
eat, they had been at work ell day, and could
not prepare anything, and two of the boys
went to the brook to catch tew fish. II was
dark. bnt they were seen and reported. The
aristocratic General Lee ordered them to be
whipped al certain hour the next day. All
the slaves were assembled to the logging.
Four boys and girl were to be fogged. ssIt
was done in that barn. and he pointed out
the dssecrated building. The overseer lash
ed away at the boys till their backs we're raw
and bleeding. Next came the girl her back
was stripped and her hands tied so that her
feet could just touch the floor. The overseer
gazed at her tortured form and hesitated. af
can't do it, was the reply. Again he order
ed, and again the overseer replied, ssMaster, I
can't whip woman Lee snatched the
whip and with his own hands iogged help.
less woman, which his overseer had the nian.
illness not to do. AS ! heard this black man
tell these stories, l felt what cannot express.
My heart throbbed with indignation, and my
body trembled with passion. Oh, how wan
ted the power to avenge this mans foul
wrongs. Because he was black he suffered
cruelties which we would not allow dog to suf.
fer. / thought of our own loved family. What
if were cruelty whipped for getting food
for half starved mother What if my sisters
were rudeiy snatched away and sold to brutal
men What if my father were trampled under
foot as chattel, and not word of interces-
sion permitted And thought, toe, of right.
eous G cd beholding all these things, and wop-
dered how long He would allow all this wick
edpess. ] prayed never before for the
slave, and, trusting my faith to Him whose
ways are so mysterious, consecrated myself
to His and my country's sacred cause of liber.
ty and righteousness. My dependence IN
Him, and cannot, will not, believe He will
allow the oppressor to triumph. Some tell MS,
at home even, slavery is ssdivine institn.
tion," and blame us for speaking aught against
it. thank God i never thought SO. and that
i have seen enough never to think so. How
a being can say that fragrant injustice, brutal
ity any inhuman barbarity are "diviDe," l
As for me, my ssanti-slavery'' is stronger than
ever, and immovably fixed. We are being
taught that we must s.let my children GO 10
and were unworthy mothers kiss, u fathers
blessing, a sisters fear, brothers. affection,
did not use every exertion-feebIe or pow
erful--to enforce the lesson.
After Lee had lacerated the girls body, be