New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-06-05

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last sleep. Il was here that, for many years wel'
deposited q large number of the most precious o
the family relics from Mount Vermont IL was here
that resided, when the great rebellion dawned tnf
distinguished United States military oineeF VINO re
lue;antly embarked with his native STATE agalns
his country, abandoning his magnificent lAhefl
tance, and became the great military entertain O
6 the lost cause.
Many persons have the impression that the An
Ington estate was once the property Of Genera
Washington, and that George Washington Park
Gusts was blood connection, nelther OF Whlcl
impressions are true though even IN the column
of The InteIigencer when 1fr, Gusts died in lS5T
II was represented that the Arlington property d
come to the deceased by will from the g Fathe
of lis Eounfry.n The estate came to him from hi
own father, and was called Arlington inmemory O
his great grandfather Hon. John Gusts, a king
counsellor, and whose estate on the Eastern shore
IN Northampton county, was known as Arlington
Those familiar with Virginia history viii re
member that Henry Earl Of Arlington, whose
daughter was the wife of the son of charles H.
BY Lady Castlemaine, and who was regarded az
the best bred gentleman at the royal court, was
granted hy that lavish and prodigate Sovereign q
England, in 1878, in connection with LORD Cul.
pepper. 6 all the dominion of land and water called
Virginia for the full term Of thlrty-o years.
Arlington transferred his interest to Culpeper,
whose rule there was SO int0lerahle that the grant
was recalled in 1854. Culpeper, though held in
infamy in Eirginian history, has been honored in
the name Of d county, while Arlington, whose
name was never in disgrace in the State, has been
perpetuated in the name of two estates.
Georee Washington Parke Custis, and his sister
Nelly were adopted by General Washington and
reared at Mount Vernon, the former being six
months old and the latter two years and half old
when thus adopted and placed in the care of their
grandmother, Mrs. Washington in lTsl. Their
father Colonel John Parke Gustis, wasan aide-de-
camp to General Washington, and dies at the an
cesral home of his wife, Eleanor Calvert at Mount
Airy, Nd, of camp fever contracted at the siege
Of Yorktown. He was hut 27 years Of Age ct his
death. and his wife 2S, having been married eight
years and Washington, Fastening to his dying bed,
was 50 much affected at the scene as to take the
younger Of the four children in his arms with the
following language to the mother: HIadopt these
two children as my own
Their father was the last surviving child of Mrs.
Washington hy her first husband Hon. John
Gusts, the great grandfather Of g. VI. P. Gusts
died at " williamsburg, Va, leaving immense landed
estates and 100000 in money to his heirs. His re-
mains we're carried to Arlington, on the eastern
shore. The tomb enclosing his remains-a marble
sarcephagus, about five feet high and as many
long, still preserved, Is regarded as one of tht
cuFiosities Of the eastern shore. The Inscription
which his son, the first husband of Mrs Washing
ton. was compelled by the conditions of the will
70 place upon the tomb, is stl to be seen, as fot
lows
Under this marble tomb lies the body Of Hon.
John Cnstis, Esq, of the city Of WILLIAMSBURG
formerly Of Hunger's parish, On the eastern shore
Of Virginia, and county of Northampton, aged
seYenty-one years. and yet lived but seven years.
which was tiie space Of time he kept & bachelors
home at Arlington, on the eastern shore Of Yir-
ginja. On the opposite side is the following:
e This inscription put on hs tomb was BY his own
positive ordsrs''
@. w P. Custis had no brother, and .his sisters.
WHO all preceded him to the grave, were Elizabeth
Parke, The wife Of Thomas Law, brother of Lord
Efeuburough, and son of Edmund Law tile eele-
bratsd bishop Of Carlisle. When he married Miss
Gusts, Mr.. Law was possessed Of great wealth,
He invested 100000 in city lots soon after this
city was founded. The lots, for which he paid on
an average Sl00 each were all located east of the
Capitol, aud proved utterly worthless, leaving him
in his last days in comparative poverty. The
early residence of Mr.. Law was the house On New
Jersey avenue south Of the Capitol, long occupied
bY the Coast Survey.
Bishop Carlisle was not the author Of Laws Sc
rious Call as has been often times in this connec.
tion errOneously stated. Martha Parke was the
wife of Thomas Peter and Eleanor Parke became
the wife OF Major Lawrence Lewis, Wasbington's
faForife nephew. Nelly and her husband Inherited
BY the will Of Washington magnificent seat
more than two thousand acres from the Mount
Vernon estate on which they erected a spacious
brick mansion, at a cost of $4,000, in 1902. and
made ii their elegant home for nearly half cen
tury. About 1916 they sold this home and re
moved to Clark county upon another inheritance.
In that seclusi0n Mrs. Lewis, once the beautiful
and Accumulated Nelly the pride and eaptiyation
of Mount Vernon, died in her seventy y-fourth year
and her remains slumher by the side Of the
Mount Vernon tomb, and near the remains Of her
husband, Major Lewis, who died q few years later
while on visit to Arlington House.
Mr. lCnsfis was married soon after he was at his
majority to Miss Mary Lee FitZhugh, of Chatham
Va and leaving Mount Vernon iInmedietely after
the death OF Mrs. Washington, took up his resi-.
deuee On Arlington heights with his youthful ana
dsliqhtfnl home for more than fifty years Mrs
Gusts dying in 1858 and Mr.. Gusts in 1851
The Arlington House was commenced while the
north wing Of the capitol was building or about
of afin in in
sort was modelled after that wing When gthe
south wing of the capitol was commenced, in 1903,
the south wing of Arlington House was also com
menced, and for many years these two wings stood
apart till the central building Of the capitol was
commenced in 1878, and then the corner stone of
the central building of the Arlington House was
laid on the same day. This eccentric piece Of his
tory is furnished Us by resident Of this city, and
one familiar with these family matters. The fruits
of Mr. Custiss marriage were four daughters all
Of whom died ininfaney except Mary Custis the
wife of Gen. Robert Z. Lee.
n Mrs. Gustis's mother was Miss Randolph, Of
Chatham, and the ancient grave in the brick en-
closure near the Arlington House, with the stone
inscribed Mary Randolph marks the resting place
Of the member Of that family, whose name Is borne
Nv Mrs Lee as it was by her mother M
ssThe Washington treasures of Arlingtons were
taken South by General Lee, in 1861. Among them
were the original three quarter length portrait of
AIrs Washington, by Woolaston, from which the
engraving in sparks.s LlIe q washington was
TrumbuiI; of Martha Custis and Daniel Pafke Gus
I'll Mrs. Washingtonis two children; also, the pof
trait by Stuart, of Nelly gustis and the portrait
by Kneler, of Hon. John Custisi crayon profile
saketehes OF Washington and his lady; and several
other fiae family portraits, sculpture, medalions
Mr. Gusts was himself an amateur artist and
annonr other pieces he painted four battle scenes
TTeuton Princeton Germantown and Monmouth
and TWO revolutionary pictures y g Washing
for at Yoriifownss and :. Washington at the surren