Never take info on the Net as if it came from a Burning Bush.
There is no record that General Lee ever said what is quoted above. He did say somethig slightly similar "if I owned 4000 slaves......"
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-th...h-for-I-would-free-them-all-to-avoid-this-war
What Lincoln actually said in context:
I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time*saveslavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time*destroy*slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle*is*to save the Union, and is*not*either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing*any*slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing*all*the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do*not*believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do*less*whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do*more*whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.