Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-11
THE ARLINGTON ESTATE.
Some "Reminiscences Of the Airing
ton House. the Lees. Custises, &c.

W.tUStfS Lee. son Oh the laLe GeneIai sahart
T. Lee, IN the United States eircu :, soprt
Of Virginia, brings to mind M nc intar
esting facts IN regard to the eSta. - Vt c..
sists of about llCO acres-twO nuaSraa s ana
hfiy, including the Mansion, .,eipg walled in
and known iG as the Satlonal cemetery There
5000 Union soldiers about $50 conferences
and about 4.OOe contr2bands. The remains mi
9 pa S,Ho saidlerS gathered on the field al
mock. are placed under the monument to Zine
Unknown" Since the war numbers of the
eSdies save been removed, and at this time
t tbta remain t IN round figures about 1900 in
This estate is part of what was known, be
lore Alexandria had ever received the name
OF Belle View, or the city of Washington
THE HowsEN GRANT,
made during the reign of Charles ii. Sir VIM.
1869, granted to one Robert Howsen g. 900 acre
OF land, having front on the Potomac from
near the Little Falls to Hunting creek This
patent was granted 70 HOwsen i'm cOnsidera-
sons into the colony. The same year as an.
pears by an instrument recorded i'm the courts.
H n%Hs &c, conveyed these lands to John Alex
Columbus Alexander, of this city, The consid-
Grafton being six hOgsheads of tobacco. In
i1as zen: Alexander executed the following
instrument conveying what is now known as
Arlington to the great grandfather OF Gen. G..
VIC. Lee, the plaintiff in the case:
IL is this day agreed between Gerard Alexander
The said Gerard Alexander viii ctmpy With ' ts
ever the land he is eatseI to s the ne
called North Six lin Howsen's patent, ayr ,au'e
Court and Potomac River, SUPPOSED to 'hGrj
acres. for the sun of eleven thouc1nd pounds cur
December, 1878; for the perfsrmance OF hen the
above parties have bound thems Elves in one lhOu.-
tsigneD GERARD ALEXANDER,
ROBERT ADAMS,
Witness: PHILIP ALEXANDER
FAIRFAX, Dec. 25.h, 177S
Then received of John Parke GUSTS ths sum Of
for Of Sa 10 fol-
siDg ON fotoRac river, and in the county of Fair
tsigIeO GERARD ALEXANDER.
THE ALEXANDER FAMILY
In this connection it may be interesting to
state that the Alexanders who came over from
England, were john, Gerard and Robert: that
In the early part Of the last century their de-
scendants were very numerous in Alexandria
county, and that the name of Belle Haven was
family. Abingdon, afterwards Gen. Hunters.
now -Four Mile Run, was the paternal es
tate, and LOcharbOr, below was the estate OF
tne Dades. with which family the AIexanders
were connected by marriage. Some of this
grant IS in the Alexander family tO-day-Co-
lu1nDuS Alexander owning farm of 150acreS
ADJOINING Arlington on the south, which has
come down from father to son for generations
past.
THE GUSTS FAMILY
Is thought by many that Arlington was
Wl!led by washington to John p Gus is but
the fact is that the 100 acres mentioned in the
Will is the place known as Custis' Mill, abOut
four miles beyond Arlington, on the Columbia
John Parke GUSTS was the only son of Mrs.
Washington by her first marriage. He was a
Young man OF great promise, special favorite
with washington because of his sense OF truth
and honor. and was one of his aide. de CAMPS
during the revolution. At Yorktown he had
an attack Of camp fever. and before he reached
.8e Mhee HSuse on tRe ra;mInkey he d
bedside before he died and cOmfOrted him in
his last hours by promising to adopt his two
EF9 aqRs Gns,s mild washington
Eews Georse w. nfPhe GUSTS Sf L avS
his sister were then small children, and
After the death of Washington in 1899, and of
his mother in May, Is0l, he spent some time in
Seotiiag up the estate, and in 1902 OF 3 he re
the erection OF the stately old mansion select
ing site-frOm which the finest view of the
city is obtained, about 300 feet above the river,
was built of brick made on the place fully half
a mile from the house, directly on the ine
dividing it from fG9 Alexandria, and it was com:
mss Nam an logt ne same Gusts married
house was not completed until after the war
OF lSl2; 1t is of brick succeed, and modelled
a itet tHS Temple aC faeStlm, near Naples.
Mi and Mrs Custis here lived for over a half
century, and in true Virginia style received
!nelr friends. Scarcely any one OF note visit
ing 1ne capital Jailed to pay their respects to
acquainted with all the leading people of the
country. Mr.. Gusts at the time of his death
V Wbo@ soe1 n IKE 200 slaves the most OF
ana and number at another plantation in Fair.
fax county, Va. He was however not a
hard haId master ma Ter, and was regarded by his
but one child who reached majority. Mary
Ann Randolph Lee, the wife OF Robert E. Lee.
the confederate chic Itain, then lieutenant in
colonel of engineers. on duty at the eugineer
bureau in this city for many wears previous
tothe war OF the rebellion. Mrs Custls died at
a athg1o MI IN 1 Apri 1888 and Mr. Gusts died
latter Is Mr. GUSTS viii bears o. d ade tn nf
March 18th, 1855. and the beuuest as to this
daughter and only child, Mary Ann Randolph Lee
anra a9d sa eu o in the county Alex
ms acres n fb more less and -Four
lands Of mine ad aeent to said mill IN ths @ ias
u Alexandria and Fairfax in the state OF Virginia
the use and benefit Of all just mentioned during the
term 81 ler natural life, together with my horses
during Ihe term Of her natural life. " anu p'"'e
doph Lee the property eis to her d arm "a
term Of her natural lie. give and beqneath 70 my
TO BIN and his heirs forever, he, my said eldest
grandson, taking ny nanle and arms.
MY daughter, Mary A. Il. Lee. has the priYi-
lege by this Will OF devisiDg my family Pate among
my grandchildren; but the Mount Vernon alto
gefher and every article possess relating to Wash
lngton, and that came from Mo1nt Vernon, is to
remain with my daughter at Arlington House
Turing said daughters life and at her death to my
eldest SranoSon. George Washington GUSTS Lee
ana TO descend from him entire and un changed tn
my latest poSterity.''
ARLINGTON SOLD FOR NINETY-TWO DOLLARS
TAXES.
Col Lee, afterwards the confederate gen
eral,t remained in the Union service till after
Virginia passed the ordinance of Secession.
when he Went south, with his wife and the
rest OF his family. Under the act of Congress
OF June 18th, 1862, for the collection of direci
taxes, and in accordance with the prOclama-
ton OF President Lincoln, dated January 9Th,
1864, the Arlington property was sold to the
United States for the sum OF $26SOO by ,JnO
HawxhurSt, Giet F. Watson and A. La Wrenca
roster, U. 5. direct tax commissioners for Vir
glnia. The amount Of tax was but Sl2O7
In February, 1872, Mrs. Lee, BY her counsel.
Mr.. +. L. Smith, of Alexandria presented a
memorial TO the Senate through Senator John
stOn, concluding:
= Your petitioner, and her son. G. W, Custis
Lee, (the owner Of the reTersion.) are willing TO
AVOID, however. all litigation the subject and
70 nave an amicab'e settlement OF this matter.
W ltn TINS In view, they now offer to the govern
ment OF the United States, THROUGH yonr honorary
execute and deliver such necessary releases ana
conVeyances as may be adjufged sufficient to
sanction aud quiet any claim which the government
may now have, by making legal and valid title to