This passage underscores the point I was making. Lee looked at the situation and laid out in no uncertain terms what he thought was needed. He took the extreme measure of going to the CSA congress to ask them to act on his request.
The CSA congress dithered and debated and raised plenty of objections, some even declaring that slaves were not needed as soldiers, and in the end gave Lee little that he asked for, as Oates so clearly explains.

Come on JAKEo don't you get it yet. THE REASON WAS NOT TO MAINTAIN THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY!!!!!!!! GEZZ

So I guess you posted this passage to prove that the CSA congressmen who said slaves were not needed to fight had the better judgement of the military situation over Lee's assessment?

I never said anything of the sort, they are the ones who made the laws and passed the resolutions, therefore what they believed and their reasons mattered. In turn these laws and resolutions affected Lee and the entire Confederacy.

Either congress has it right and armed slaves were not needed, or Lee had it right and they were needed.

Doesn't matter who was right or wrong, CSA Congress or Lee, it is what YOU stated as their reason for not arming the slaves vs. the real factual reasons.

GP