Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-24

WASHINGTON, d. c., March

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and used as a National Cemetery, IN
which have been buried the remalns OF
! 1R 1853 victims of the late war. A board,
painted white, on which are inscribed the
name of the soldier, his co.. pany, regl-
ment and Stat, and of an officer MS
rank, is placed ut the head of each grave
MANY acres are thus covered, every
northern State being represented by those
martyrs, of whom it may well be SAID
"On flames eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead"
The Arlington House is large, BRICK
edifce, facing the east, with porch In
front, supported by eight massive Tuscan
columns, also of brick, finished with
coat of mortar, and painted Tor washed)
with light yellow color, to correspond
with the rest of the building and the
Servants quarters" built in the rear OF
the mansion. The Potomac and Capital
are in full view from the porch, the latter
being about three miles distant, and di-
rectly in front
The upper rooms of the building are
used for offices and private apartments OF
those who have the charge of the place.
The lower ones, including the conservato-
ry, formerly the dining room, are open for
the inspection of visitors. The house
was nice one in its day, having been
built in 1803 and is now kept in good or
der.
The grounds are tastefully laid out, and
are we'll cared for. The wooden head
boards will not last long time, but Con-
gress will doubtless supply their place
with marble memorial-stones before many
years. The remains of many hundreds
of soldiers have been brought here from
other cemeteries or temporary burial plac-
es near battle grounds. These are all
appropriately marked, and when the re-
mains are identified, usually correspond
with the following:
Removed June 16, 1866, from Soldiers
Cemetery, Benson's Farm, Poolsville, Md,
n. G. Dunbar, Private, Co. I, 10th Yer
mont Died May %, 1863" or if an Off
Ger it will read as follows:
Removed June %, 1866, from Soldiers
Cemetery, Tunnels Farm, near Pools
vile, Nd, Lieut.. M. Hopkins, Co. A, 10th
Vermont. Died Jan. %, 1868" But among
the number are many graves all marked
Unknown" Near the dwelling is a
large granite monument that tells the fol-
lowing sad story
Beneath this stone repose the
bones of 2,111 unknown soldiers,
gathered after the war from the fields
of Bull Run and the route to
the RappahAnnock. Their remains
could not be identified, but their names
and deaths are recorded in the archives of
their country; and its grateful citizens
honor them as of their noble army of
martyrs.
May they rest in peace.
Sept, A. D. 1866"
If any think the colored people made
no sacrifices of life in the great struggle
for the freedom of their race, they should
visit this cemetery, and upon the western
side count the acres of graves of those
who were not thought fit to fight for their
country in the early part of the war, but
who were gladly welcomed to our ranks
before it closed, and, as the result shows,
did not escape disease or bullets, but fell
a prey to both.
Turning ava with a sad heart from
this home of the dead, I went to what
was known as Fort Whipple during the
war, a fort west of Lees residence. The
spot will long bear that name. But the
fort is deserted as are all the forts that
were made around Washington during
the war; of all the forts near Washington
this was probably the most complete. A
great amount of labor was expended upon
this and other forts near here; doubtless
necessary at the time, but of no use, and
l rejoice to see them in a neglected con-
dition, going to decay. 1t has been al
source of rejoicing to me TO see the efforts
made in Congress towards reducing the
military force and a reduction of the num-
Der of military men to be supported by our
government. A reduction, and q large
one too, should be made in the naval de-
partment not of privates only, but Of sal
aried officials who are Of no use to the
government. Hundreds of laburer4 have
lately been discharged from N" navy
yards throughout the couu7rv, bur the
high salaried officials still hold ra,lr po,
sitions aud get Their pay AS before
understand that there are IL rn" navy
Just as many regular officers TO day as
there were in the darkest days " the war.
Tie number of privates has BEEN ere ,tly
reduced
We need another turn Of the screw that
brings hard times in order to :,.' rid of
these useless officials I may b. asked if
[ would discharge all ITO heip from our
navy-yards answer, yes bat would
have it gradually done. I would have the
public property duly cared for, but no
moro war vessels nor munitions or war
ma de till they are needed for the defence
Of our country, Ii they are never made,
they may never be needed. If we should
ever again be forced into war, we must
make the material to carry it on after the
war begins. In this progressive age, it
will not do to make a war vessel to-day to
be used five years hence, for superior ones
will be built. The same is true of ord
nance. The commissioners sent by our
government to examine the Monarch"
which brought the remains of Mr.. Pea
body, report that our iron-clad Monitors"
which were extemporjzed and did such
service in the late war, are Of no further
use, for they could not stand II moment
against the Monarch" Why then, if in
a pecuniary point of view only, should we
expend more money in keeping these