Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-06-05
The Arlington Estate.

tutcd 40 actiOo Of tjtclmeat Tor he recovery ul
the famous Arlington estate, containing the
Arlington ccmctcry, the former residence o:
George Washington Psrke Uustis aud Goocial
(theu Colouel) Robert i. Lee. Il vas stated
that notice oil the suit was served On April J"
upon the officers in charge OF Arlington and
Fort Whpple, and upon the o;her occupant.
CT the estate. ! have no doubt thai The an'
nounccmcnt was 10 many persouS great sur
prise. The popular impression had been, auG
probably still is, that the Arlinmton property
belonged to General Robert Lee, and was
therefore legally couGsoatcd, or that il not his
| property, but that Of Mrs lee and her sou,
| that the Government had obtained il in 4 way
| which might perhaps be mean or oppressive,
| but which at all events was certain and con.
vcycd valid title. As the War Department
has taken possession Of this property, and cen
verified part Oh it into Z Federal cemetery,
burying there some nineteen thousand vi the
Union dead, it was only reasonable to assume
that they had acted with due caution, and had
shown proper respect for the gallant dead by
| burying their remains upon land which the
Government really owned and was able to PRO.
| cct In its own courts OF law.
|
hundred acres. 1t lies On the south bank OF
| the Potomac, directly opposite lie Presidents
| house; but the lard which is bounded lay the
| river, soon rises into = bold and commanding
| height, and here is placed the old Gusts man.
sion, built 10 the old style, with & porIico and
high pillars in front, broad hall, spacious
old fashioned rooms and cut houses Havoc,
| vandalism and hate have done their wrcIchCd
work here, and wrought Sad changes; the old
Mount Vernon relics are stolen, scattered and
| lost. but there is still an aroma So to speak,
about the old house which is pleasant to any
one who has . reverence for The men and deeds
| of the past. Mr.. Gusts was n1t allied by blood
| with General Washington. but he was his step
SOD, and his adopted sou. Ills memory Of tic
great patriot aud hero was vivid aud accurate;
he delighted to talk about him. and 81 the men
and events OF that day. My own earliest recol-
Iecliops Of Arlington evoke the lmag; OF two
old gray haired men, one Mr.. Gusts, and an
other still older (my own iather), both .! whom
| had known and seen 'the General, and who
perfectly remembered everything about hln,
chatting uudcr the oaks At Arlington OF the
old days aud the men OF that great cia. Iherc
| ls vet another form on The caUYa;. There vas
the tall and stately form Of Colonel Robert Lee,
| fresh from the battle fields Of Mexico, where,
as the iayoritc eDgiucer and counselor Of Win
field Scott he had planned the campaign
which eliminated 10 such wonderful success.
The rising soldier, The pride Of the American
armv, Lee, had even then much 0t the grave
and sweet dignity which wc love to as7ocaa
with our idea Of a Christian knight anI Tai-
r;or: but there was naught o. the .!dEv%.
which the strain OF i four sears var, t}IiG'TcA
tv q peace moro cruel than War, Was Il SlaCi
TO impress upon bis maaly Features. Al! thcn
spcd we'll with him. Tie iIaI ia,uo mere than
sufficient Tor Que 50 modest a. he; = :wc.:
home, the property OF MS wis; L c2agHGl.i
professions; ample means; chit,i?cG, ''I3vH
honor and troops Of lrlcnis. he a:i:'na'he:c
ct the old mansion was rcd0lan, not ory Il
cherished memories, but Of r'rtu" h2ppiGcSS
and joy. 1t Was typical Southern home, HI
TO say that tells the whole storT. \ generous
enemy WOuld Lave spared u. Gram; Meth.
Ian, bucil, Meade a5'i IDor!"s, b:Ii"rc,
would have protected j., i,r4s Nh Stauron was
cast in different mold. Rough and brutal ~
nature, he echoed the worss passions d IT,"
hour, Wax upon non c0mbatan;S Grs;nc';i"r
Of growing craps and implements Il hu>baHhry,
making medicines ccntrahan' c: Wal att: r.
tllsal to exchange prisoners entered largely iDtr
his theory ct military strategy. IT, Cancaisc i
that it would be linc ihlHG to sn;z' lie r,p;'.
crty of Mrs II2c (lor he kuc@ !h"t II vs.
hcr'sl, and, hy converting 1t mo = Federal
cemetery, to put what he suppose! would lie
an insnpcrable b4r to It's iutuTn racu piucy ~
General L2" or any GI H.: family. ',r thI-
mean act Of lite H. used HE dead !,.l!@9 .!
the Union soldiers, whose dangers liz hal never
once shared, just as i:c Used them wcG awe,
refusing to exchange, that lie niSht intensity
the suiferines aud Augment !',r pa ,l0ES i
the war.
The facts Of the history Of Arnron aL'i Tie
law showing where its title bclun&3 are !7"Ii@nd
+ lorcibly stated by Senator Johm:nn. pi NrsiG-
ia, in speech made by him 10 the DATED
States Senate on the "a Of March, 1918, aud
to it refer those who may wish 10 post them.
selves upon the question. | shall have to deal
with the matter mere briefly. Arlington WAS
the property, as VIC all know, ct George Wash
ington Parkc Gusts, who died i'll 1871. Hy
his will, which was duly probatcd, he devised
as follows -
| give and bcqucath to ny dcally beloved
daughter and only child, Mary Ann li!ndnIp!l
Lee, my Arlington estate, IN The County Of Az
exaudri, and State Of Virginia, containing
eleven hundred acres, NOR? or less, and my
mill on Four-milc Run, in the couuty Of Alex
andria, and the lands Of mine djaccnt to said
mill. 10 the counties of Alexandria and Far
fax, in the State OF Virginia, the Use and bcnc-
Gt of all lust mentioned during the term Of her
natural life, together with my horses and car,
riages, furniture, pictures and plate during the
term of her natural lille.
The will also contained this provision -
On tho death Of my daughter, Mary Ann
Randolph Lee all the property LETT to Ter dur
ipp the term Of her natural life, give and be-
oueath to my eldest grandson, George WASH
ipgton GUSTS Lee, TO him and his heirs forever,
be, my eldest grandson, taking NY name ani
arms.
| 1t is questioned whcthe: this save 6. W.
Casts Lee vested or contingent Interest II
the remainder was contingent, then Il. W.
Gusts Lee had no estate in the proncrtytll the
death OF the life tenant. II it was 4 vested re-
maindrr, nc had no estate 10 possession ill that
event.
On The death OF Mr.. GUSTS, Gen. Lee aud
his wife took possession Of The ArIiugton prop
erty, and resided there ill the war broke cut