Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-07-15
Correspondents Of the Beacon.)
WAsHISGros, July 18th. 1875.
ARLINGTON.

4
ARLINGTON.
DEAR BRAcox Having failed 70
make connection with . boat bound
for Great Falls, where had anticipated
spending pleasant day, / thought, ~
/ stood disappointed On Georg etown
Heights and saw old Arlington in the
the distance, tina. could not more pro-
fitably employ the hours, or better car
~ out my original design of having .
ramble, than by visiting at once the
home of Lee and the shrine Of our
dead.
As it is possible that some Of your
readers may not be perfectly familiar
with its present condition, Twill briefly
notice (if you win be kind enough 10 al
low an old friend little spacee What
seemed among the more prominent OBJ
jects of interest.
Crossing Acqueduct Bridgeat George
town, and taking the old Alexandria
road for half mile or SO, you enter the
estate, and the 'Silent City" lies stretch
ed out before you. This is but COM
paratively small part of the cemetery
and is allotted principally, I was in
formed, to negro soldiers. CHANGING at
the white d-boards that mark the
last resting place Of these African pa
triots, was somewhat struck with the
popularity of few of their names
E"Lizzie Smith" "Mary Jones" and such
for example. Mentally revolving the
subject, I was finally forced to the con-
clusion that our late struggle was not
without its Moll Pitchers of African
descent, and having accepted this as
satisfactory solution, turned to the as
cent of the Heights which commences
here.
Passing through this part of the
cemetery the road winds beautifully
through forest of gigantic oaks to the
rear of the house, which is so complete
ly EMPOWERED by these sublime children
of nature as to be entirely concealed,
and to which we have been partly guild
ed by the "Stars and Stripes" which
float to the breeze far above the tree
tops, forcibly reminding one that he is
treading upon soil sacred to the memo
~ of our fallen soldiers. From this
approach the ascent is gradual, and one
is not aware of the great elevation at
tanned till he stands on arlington
Heights" and looking Eastward indul-
ges in a birds eye view of country
around-blending Nature and Art-ta-
king in at one glance Washington,
Georgetown, the fair Potomac, minia-
tured above the former city into mere
stream, flowing peacefully at his feet, I'M
disturbed save here and there by the white
sails of some pleasure craft, with its
noisy, merry crew, or by some steamer
laziiy blowing its way over the silvery
surface; the beauties of the country for
miles and miles around, all combined,
presenting picture amply rewarding
the traveller for his jaunt of an hour
under the heat Of Summer sun. AL
belt, so thought / as 1 stood on the
brow of the Heights and gazed upon
the scene below me.
TIE hill slopes in beautiful lawn,
with many II gentle swell and fall
of hill and dale among.its clustering
groves of cedar and oak, which, in the
distance from the summit, seem like
small underground.
Standing little back from the hill
top is the mansion, an aristocratic look
ing old structure of brown stone or
brick, with an imposing piazza extend
ing the length of the house and sup
ported by massive pillars. The walls
and floors are bare with the exception
| of the old dining-rOom, now used as an
Office by the Superintendent, which is
hung with inscrii lions appropriate to
its present use.
Around the house and along the nice
ly-kept walks are beautiful flowers and
rare plants, placed there in the main by
the Government since its occupancy;
the planning and general arrangement
of the flower garden is the same as when
left by its former possessors, and reflects
much credit on their taste. Back Of the
house and Westward of it, is the wood
before alluded to, the face of which is
broken by deep and precipitous ravines,
contrasting wildly with the gentler seen.
cry of the other side. Through this
YOU pass in going to the cemetery pro-
per, which is situated short distance
in the rear of the house. Spread out
over acres and acres, extends this last
biviouac, and rising in soldier-like ar
ray are the modest monuments that
mark the place where the fallen repose,
awaiting another bugler's call to awake
them from their slumher to give ac-
count of battles fought on other fields,
and, let US hope, Of victories won.
The boards generally bear the name,
date of death, command, &C., but
on some, and not few, the sad
unknown" tells the tale of many
lonely death scene, with none to receive
the hearts last message or to whisper
sweet words of consolation and hope
and bid God speed to the soul on its
flight to great eternity.
The cemetery is laid out with precis-
ion, in rows separted by walks. The bod
les of few Southern soldiers are still
here, the majority having been removed
either to private burying grounds or to
similar resting places South. These
are marked ike the others, with the
exception of Rebel "a hash word that
might, methinks, in peaceful times well
| h. ohliterafai from monuments erscte1