James Edward Lee

[10th Michigan Infantry]

I recently came across a claim made on Facebook that sparked some intrigue, the poster claimed that she was descended from a black man name James Edward Lee, and that James Edward Lee was the black son of Robert E. Lee and a slave named Belle. Well the actual name of James Lee's mother was Betsy Ann Lee, but I could not find his father's name. In some census records he comes up as mulatto, and I saw a few other people on Ancestry have added Robert E. Lee as James Lee's father. I find a lot of claims like this about such and such famous Confederate being the father of this or that person, and I've posted about them before too, I think some of this comes down to less than reliable family legends. But a little more information on James Edward Lee, supposedly he was a member of the USCT during the Civil War (I couldn't find any records on his service), and after the war became a wealthy property owner in Falls Church, Virginia. He helped build a prospering black community there and he donated land for a school to be built in which today is named for him.

I believe the story about him being the son of Robert E. Lee is dubious considering that I could find no record of any slave that Lee owned by the name Betsy Ann Lee, or "Belle", but thought I'd still share the story since James Lee did actually seem to help build a thriving black community in Falls Church in the post war years. I included a picture of James Lee and a historic marker below.

 

[Pollaco]

There are so many who wish that story about Robert E. Lee fathering a mulatto were true. That's how they chip away at a man's reputation.

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

There are so many who wish that story about Robert E. Lee fathering a mulatto were true. That's how they chip away at a man's reputation.

Indeed, even if there is a complete lack of evidence for the claim.

 

[major bill]

While this is interesting we may never know the truth. In the end this is an interesting story that may or my not connect to Robert E. Lee.

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

A little more information on the claim of Robert E. Lee being James E. Lee's father, a friend of mine helped look through the census data and we found that both Charles Lee (James Lee's brother), and James Lee himself were free born, James Lee's mother Betsy comes up in the census as being free as of 1840. There are also claims of Charles Lee being Robert E. Lee's son, once again can't find any information suggesting that. They were both born in Fauquier County, and I'm not sure that Robert E. Lee even owned any land there. Needless to say, I really don't believe that part of the story, but if anyone else might be able to dig anything up, I'd sure appreciate it.

 

[JerryD]

First off, if he was born free, that means his mother was free. So that kind of cuts the story off at its knees, since the story said his mother was a slave named Belle. So right off the bat the story does not hold up.

But to get to the larger issue, I would not be surprised at all if Lee fathered slave children. It was extremely common for young men at that time to use the slaves for sexual purposes, and while some like to hold Lee to some exalted status, in reality he was human, with all the human frailties. I know, that is shocking to some folks here, and resolutely denied by others! But we do know that Lee was a huge flirt and had an eye for the ladies, so hearing that as a young man he took advantage of some slave woman would not shock me. Would that change my high opinion of Lee? Not at all. The fact that Thomas Jefferson fathered slave children does not affect my high opinion of him, either.

That being said, I suspect he did not actually father any slave children primarily because in his 20's he was either cloistered at West Point or was on military assignments where he did not have close access to female slaves, so he lacked the opportunities. I guess there is a chance he might have done something when he was a teenager before he went to West Point, but we certainly don't have any evidence of that.

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

I figured I'd add the original Facebook posts too, this is what was claimed. I exclude the name for privacy reasons, she says she has a letter from the 1950s from her aunt which might be the origin of this claim. I'd don't think a letter from the 50s is a very convincing piece of evidence. Also these details go completely against all the records of James Lee and his mother, since both of them were freed by 1840, not by the end of the Civil War.

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

Here is Charles Lee's freedom papers, I see that James Lee's are avaliable on ancestry but I do not have access to it.

When he died, it doesn't seem like anyone had a clue who James Lee's father was, his father never shows up in the census information.

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

James Lee and his mother do occasionally show up as being mulatto, I imagine the reason James comes up that way is because his mother was mulatto.

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

I notice other people (presumably unconnected to the original poster) have added Robert E. Lee as James Lee's father on Ancestry, but once again no records I could find show any connection.

 

[JerryD]

I figured I'd add the original Facebook posts too, this is what was claimed. I exclude the name for privacy reasons, she says she has a letter from the 1950s from her aunt which might be the origin of this claim. I'd don't think a letter from the 50s is a very convincing piece of evidence. Also these details go completely against all the records of James Lee and his mother, since both of them were freed by 1840, not by the end of the Civil War.

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This account can be ripped apart eight ways till Sunday. Its all BS. As previously stated, I would not be suprised if he did father a child with a slave, but this account has so many holes in it, its just not remotely credible.

 

[Ry92]

I come from similar ancestry chances are unless it's like common knowledge like Thomas Jefferson then they're probably someone close in the families. The Lee's in general were prominent and popping out tons of mulatto kids left and right like alot of major plantation the way to tell if they're in the family is the repeat first names after the white side, some land, special treatment or even freedom. Similar to West Ford being George Washington well my honest opinion he's bushrod Washington son or brother to strong a resemblance yet definitely a Washington. It seemed to be a common theme take your dad's sides first names and moms last name until you gained freedom. Gov Taylor of South Carolina is one of my family sides set her free she gained 60k net worth and was literate the other side of my family is related to the Lee's Washington's Boones, penns they wer direct decent of the callaway steptoe similar to the hemming you noticed the name special privilege, resemblance general Robert e rodes younger brother is my direct 2-3rd.great grandad

 

[10th Michigan Infantry]

I come from similar ancestry chances are unless it's like common knowledge like Thomas Jefferson then they're probably someone close in the families. The Lee's in general were prominent and popping out tons of mulatto kids left and right like alot of major plantation the way to tell if they're in the family is the repeat first names after the white side, some land, special treatment or even freedom. Similar to West Ford being George Washington well my honest opinion he's bushrod Washington son or brother to strong a resemblance yet definitely a Washington. It seemed to be a common theme take your dad's sides first names and moms last name until you gained freedom. Gov Taylor of South Carolina is one of my family sides set her free she gained 60k net worth and was literate the other side of my family is related to the Lee's Washington's Boones, penns they wer direct decent of the callaway steptoe similar to the hemming you noticed the name special privilege, resemblance general Robert e rodes younger brother is my direct 2-3rd.great grandad

Yeah, but there seems to be no evidence that Lee himself had any children like that, and in this specific case it is almost certainly false because James Lee and his mother, and grandmother were born free.