While the historical record is clear that Grant freed a slave named William Jones in 1859, Grant's father-in-law, Frederick Dent, died in 1873 at the White Hous

While the historical record is clear that Grant freed a slave named William Jones in 1859, Grant's father-in-law, Frederick Dent, died in 1873 at the White House (Grant was president at the time). It is clear that Jones was previously owned by Dent, but when and how Grant acquired him from his father-in-law, as well as Grant's motivations for freeing him are not known. See http://www.snopes.com/confederate-history-slave-ownership/ http://www.snopes.com/confederate-history-slave-ownership/ or https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297734845_Ulysses_S_Grant_Manumits_William_Jones_An_Example_of_America%27s_Entanglement_with_Slavery https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297734845_Ulysses_S... or almost any other reputable source.