Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-13
she Former Seat 81 Gen.
Lse-Iss Easstsry-lss Prepriessrs-

Iss Prssens Usss-Ths lee Tsmiiy.
Prom n. National Iaseluxsscer. AprHe.
A visit 70 the Arlington mansion and surround
ing estate. = few days since. 6lled az VIII op-
psessive and melancholy reflections -Four years
ago Robert E. Lee, then . Lieutenant colonel IN
the cavalry Of the union army, and now com
mander- in chief of the rebel army, WAS with bis
family in the happy possession Of that msgnin
cent Inheritance. More than one-half OF the Is
tate, consisting Of thousand acres. vas covered
With splendid forest Of oak and other timber.
and the rich and productive fields adorned With
the hand Of culture. To day what change
The venerable Ancestral mansion. erected BY the
honored son by adoption Of the Father OF hrs
Country. and for half century bis cultivated and
delightful home. Il now in the center Of vast
cemetsry Of those Who have fallen in the service
Of their co1ntry. Two hundred and hfty acres
Of this estate surrounding the mansion have been
psrns1snty appropriated for burial purposes By
The government. and enclosed BY q substantial
diers have already been there buried, and the
number is daily growing larger.
In 1853. Mrs. Gusts. the mother Of Mrs. Gen.
Lee. died in the Arlington mansion and was
buried in O sequestered and delightful grove near
the mansion; and in 1851 Nr. Gusts died. and
bis remains we're deposited by her side, vast
conc0urse Of persons Of every rank testifying
their reverence for The departed by their presence
at the obsequies. That sequestered grove, thus
selected By lie owner as the last resting place
for himself and his. has been in the tempest of
the times invaded, the forest has been trans
formed into field Of the dead. and the two mar
BILE columns marking the remains Of George
Washington Parke Gusts and Mary Lee Fitz-
hugh. his wife. now rise in the midst of more
than four thousand patriot soldiers graves.
Nearly the whole Of the timber and wood has
war purposes The freedmen's village is estab-
lished upon one portion Of the land thus cleared,
and d is all being put under cultivation BY con
traband negro labor.
Mr.. Gusts inherited this estate from bis father,
who the of Mrs Gen Washington by a
former husband. Soon after his mother died, in
lcO2. be. then about % years of age. came here
from Mount Vernon, and with his young and ac-
comPshed wife took Up their residence in the
Arlington mansion. which he had then just
erected, and which evermore wac their beautiful
and cultivated home. The fruits OF this union
we're -four daughters. all Of whom died in infancy.
except Mary CustIs. the wife of General Robert
L. Lee. Dir. Gusts father, John Parke Gusts,
was an aide de camp to Washington, and died of
camp fever in 1851, contracted at the siege OF
yorktown. at the age of u years. BE had mar
ried. at ~ years of age, Eleanor Calvert of Mt.
Airy, Md. descendant of the second Lord Bal
hfuOTts hutu DuG Id Years OI age anu At 81 she
was thus made q widow with four children.
Gen. Washington FASTENED to Ethan, Md :,
where the husband was sick. only to see him in
his dying moments. This was the only surviv
ing child of Mrs. Washington. the daughter hav-
ing died some years before He WAS deeply af-
fected, aud. weeping, said TO the mother: II
adept the two younger children as my own >
These were Eleanor Gusts, then two and half
years Of age, who died at seventeen, of consump-
nd 81 p..L 49,
six months old. Gen. Washington took un-
wearied pains in training this son of bis adoption
desiring to give him a solid and liberal educa-
ton: but his efforts failed. The son was averse
10 study, though possessed OF good abilities, and
81 twenty three years of age married. and de
voted his life and very large fortune, inherited
from his father and mother, TO agriculture and
pleasant literary pursuits. He was possessed of
much natural eloquence. and wrote with ready
and cultivated pen, az the columns of The In
telligencer, 70 which he often contributed, bear
testimony.
He was one of the first persons in this country
to embark in the raising of merino sheep He
inaugurated an annual convention for the pro-
motion of agriculture and domestic manufacture,
known over the country "a the Arlington sheep
sbearing. These gatherings were at Arlington
spring beneath the shade Of q venerable oak nssr
the banks OF the Potomac. For Bauy years on
the 50th Of April. the annual sheariug took place
a large concourse gathering to see the eercmo-
nies. Prizes, provided at the expense OF Mrs.
Custis were awarded to those preseuting the best
specimens of sleeps wool aud domestic manu-
lures He had at one time large and splendid
flock of sheep of the choicest breeds, which, how
ever, were plundered By thieves and dogs, till at
last only two remained, and these for several
years held solitary sway in the domain. Mr..
Gusts took delight in paintings; but the six
paintings now hanging in the hall of the Airing
ton mansion. representing battles and revolution
AIRY incidents. painted by him, evince rather a
sorry capacity in the author in that direction.
The walls of this manson were. however adorn-
ed by some hne specimens of the art Among
them we're several sperdid original portraits of
Wsshngton-one by the elder Peale, another by
Stewart; and there was also a beautiful portrait
of his mother. by the latter named artist All
these family pictures were taken away By the Lee
family when they went into the rebellion.
The mansion is now occupied by the officer in
command of the post and his subordnates The
dining hall is used as an Office In this room are
three old fashioned book cases. containing some
four hundred volumes, principally old books
broken sets, and Of very small value. The par
Tor adjoining the hall is not occupied. the onlv
article in t being mahogany side board, which
came from Mount Vsraon. In the parlor beyond
are two sofas and SIX stuffed mahogany chairs
covered with scarlet velvet; two marble top
tables, q side board. and piano stool matching
the chairs. Ga the walls are several coarse large
portraits. and one or two fine oil paintings.
There are also two old engravings, of classical
neurological character. hanging with the rest.
The room in the southerly wing. and used by
General Lee a. his Office. is now used "a q bed
room: and all the upper part of the mansion is
used for like purpose. The building is no, in
jured. The flower garden has been inclosed by
. new fence. and il laid out and tas,efully sdOrn-
Cd this spring.
The grave of each soldier is neatly marked BY
a wooden slab az the head and foot, painted
white inscribed with the name of the soldier and
his company and regiment, and az little dis
lance these slabs have the appearance of marble.
The mounds are to be neatly covered with sod
Gen Robert Edmund Lee is the son of Gen.
Henry Lee of the revolutionary memory, and
known as Light Horse Harry" whose mother
was the beautiful Miss Grimes. Gen. Washing
tons first love. and whom be celebrated as the
lovlsnd beauty" Gen. Harry Lee was twice
married. By the frst marriage he had two chill
dren. Henry Tan officer in the war of 1912 and
Lucy. By the second wife-s Miss Carter OF
Shirley-he bad Eve children. two daughters,
Annie and Mildred, and three sons The sons
we're Charles Carter. Robert Edmund the gen
erslJ aud Sidney Smith the last named an off,
Ger in our navy. and now in the rebel navy.
Gen. Robert K. Lee was born in lsOs and is
consequently, Fifty seven years of age Ee