Rare Photo of Robert E. Lee's Slave Acquired by National Park Service

Selina Gray was a slave owned by Robert E. Lee and who served as the personal maid of Lee's wife, Mary Custis Lee. When the Lee family abandoned Arlington House in 1861, Mary Custis Lee gave Selina Gray keys to the house, leaving her in charge.
Along with more usual valuables, the house contained heirlooms connected to George and Martha Washington, to whom Mary was related. From the National Park Service:
The United States Army assumed control of the Arlington Estate on May 24, 1861. Later, U.S. Army officers occupied the house. When Mrs. Gray discovered some of the treasures had been stolen, she confronted the soldiers and ordered them "not to touch any of Mrs. Lee's things." Gray alerted General Irvin McDowell, commander of the United States troops, to the importance of the Washington heirlooms. The remaining pieces were sent to the Patent Office for safekeeping. Through Selina Gray's efforts, many of the Washington pieces were saved for posterity.