The Portland daily press., 1866-04-16
MiScell
Lee and His Slaves.

It has frequently been represented py Inc
friends and admirers of Robert Z. Lee, late an
odieer of the rebel army, that although slave
holder his treatment of his chattels was inya-
riably kind and humane. The sup)omed
statement. taken from the lips of one OF his
former slaves, explains itself. Its publication
will doubtless greatly enhance the reputation
of this "great and good man" among the chiv-
airy of the South and the copperheads of the
North:
NV name is Wesley Norris; I was born a
slave on the plantation of George w. Parke
CIStis; after the death of Mr.. Gusts, General
Lee, who had been made executor of the es-
tate, assumed control of the slaves, in number
about seventy; it was the general impression
among the slaves of Mr.. Gusts that on his
death they should be forever free in fact this
statement had been made to them by Mr. Z.
years before; at his death we were informed
by Gen. Lee that by the conditions OF the will
we must remain slaves for five years; IL remain
ed with Gen. Lee for about seventeen months,
when my sister Mary, cousin OF ours, and
determined to run away, which we did In the
year 1859; we had already reached Westmin-
ster, in Maryland, on our way to the NORTH,
when we we're apprehended and thrown INTO
prison, and Gen. Lee notified oil our arrest;
sent back to Arlington: we were Immediately
taken before Gen. Lee, who demanded the
reason why we ran away; we frankly told him
that we considered ourselves free; he then
told us he would teach us a lesson which we
never would forget; he then ordered us to the
barn, where, in his presence, we were tied
firmly to posts by Mr.. McGwin, our overseer,
who was ordered by Gen. Lee to strip us to
the waist and give US 30 lashes each, excepting
my sister, who received but 20: we were &C
cordingly stripped to the skin by the overseer,
who, however, HAD sufficient humanity to de-
cline whipping us; accordingly Dick Williams,
a County Constable, was called in, who gave
us the number of lashes ordered; Gen. Lee, in
the meantime, stood by, and frequently en-
joined Williams to clay it on well" an injunc-
ton which he did not fail to heed not salts
fed with simply decorating our naked flesh,
Gen. Lee then ordered the overseer to thor
oughly wash our backs with brine, which was
done; after this my cousin and myself were
sent to Hanover Court House Jail, my sister
being sent to Richmond to an agent to be
hired; we remained in Jail about week when
we were sent to Nelson Co., where we We're
hired out by Gen. Lees agent to work on the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad; we remain
ed thus employed for about seven months ard
were then sent to Alabama, and put to work
on what is known as the North Eastern Rail-
road; in January, 1868, we were sent to Rich
mond, from which place / finally made my es-
cape through the rebel lines to freedom; I
have nothing further to say what have stat
ed is true in every particular, and can at any
time bring as least a dozen witnesses, both
white and black, to substantiate my state
ments; I am at present employed by the Gov
eminent, and am at work in the National
Cemetery on Arlington flights, where can
be found by those who desire further particu-
lars; my sister referred to is at present employ
ed by the French Minister at Washington, and
will confirm my statement. lna set p