Giacomo Bologna, Mississippi Clarion Ledger, January 17, 2019

Following a barrage of negative responses, the Mississippi Department of Revenue deleted a tweet Thursday about Gen. Robert E. Lee’s birthday.

The agency posted a tweeted saying it would be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day and the birthday of the Confederate general.

“In honor of General Robert E. Lee’s birthday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we will be closed on Monday, January 21,” the department tweeted.

{snip}

While many Twitter users were upset the state agency paired a civil rights martyr with a general who fought to uphold slavery, Lee’s birthday is a state holiday in Mississippi.

{snip}

Lee was born on Jan. 19, 1807, and his birthday is a holiday in some states. King was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and his birthday is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January.

{snip}