Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-13
The Arlington Estate.


100 acres-two hundred and fifty, including
the manslou, being walled in and known as the
National Cemetery. There wcro Inferred hero
during the war nearly $4,000 Union soldiers,
about $50 Coofederates, and about 4 900 con
trabands. The remains of over 1000 soldiers
gathered on the field OF Bull Run and on the
route to the Rappahannock, arc placed under
the monument to "rhe UnkaoWn." Since the
war numbers of the bodies have been removed,
and at this tmo there rem lin in round figures
abou! Is 900 in this City of the Dead.
This estate is part Of what was known, be-
foro Alexandria had ever received the name Of
Belle View, Or tho city Of Washington was
dreamed cf as the HoRsen Grant, made dur
ing the reign of Charles Ii.
Sir VIM. Berkeley, Governor of Virginia iu
October, 1869, granted to one Robert HoWseu
| c, 900 acres of land, having front on the Po
tomac from near the Little Falls to Hunting
creek. This patent was granted to Howsen in
consideration Of his having transported num-
bcr Of persons into the colocy. Tho same year,
as appears by an instrument recorded in the
courts, HCWsen conveyed these lands to John
Alexander, the great groat grandfather OF Mr..
Columbus Alexander, of this city, the consd-
GRAFTON being elk hogshcads of tobacco ln
ITS Gen. Alexander executed the following
Instrument, conveying what is now known as
Arlington to the great grandfather OF Gen. u.
w. g. Lee, tho plaintiff IN the case:
1t is this day agreed between Con- Alexan.
der, of Fairfax county, Of the one part, and
Robert Adams, for j Ohm Parko Gusts, Of the
other, that the said Gerard Alexander will
convey to the said John Parkc Gusts, bis
heirs and assigns forever, all the land he IS en-
titled to between the line called North Six lin
lIowscn's patent. agreeable to plat and re.
oovery made lately in the General Court and
Potomac river, supposed to be 1000 acres, tor
the sum Of eleven thousand pounds currency.
Possession will be given the 25th of December,
IT'S; for the performance of which the above
parties have bound themselves ia ono thousand
pounds.
(Sisucd) GERARD ALEXANDER.
ROBERT ADAMS.
Witness PHILLIP ALEXANDER.
FAIRFAX, Dec. 25, ITS.
Then received Of John Parke Custls the sum
Of eleven thousand pou0ds, Virginia currency,
in full for tract OF laud, supposed one thou5'
and acres, lying on Potomac river, and IN the
county of Fairfax.
ISigned GERARD ALEXANDER.
In this connection it may be interesting to
state that tho AlcXanderS who came over from
EDglani, Ecro John, Gerard and Robert; that
10 the carly part Of the last conu!y their de-
scendants were very numcrou7 in :Alcxandria
county, and that the mama Of Belle Haven was
changed TO Alexandria 10 compliment to the
family Abingdon, afterwards Gen. Hunters.
now -Four Mile Run, was tho raternal estate,
and Lochabar, below, was the estate OF tho
Dadcs, with which family the Aexandcrs were
connected by marriage. Some Of this grant Is
in the Alexander family to.day-Columbus
Alexander owning a farm CT $50 acres adloln'
ing Arlington on the eouth, which has como
down from father to son for generations past.
1t is thought by many that Arlington vas
wlllcd by Washington to John p. Custis, but
the fact is that the |, 100 acres mentioned IN
tho will is the rlaco known as Gusts Mill,
about four miles beyond Arlington. on tho Co-
umbia Turnpike.
John Pakc Gusts was Tho oply son OF Mrs.
Washington by her first marriage. lie was
young man Of great promise, special faVorlte
with Washington because Of his sensc OF truth
and honor, and was ono OF his aide de camps
during the revolution. At Yorktown he had
60 attack Of camp fever, and before no reached
the White House, on tho Pamunkcy. he died,
November 5, ISL. Washington reached his
bedside before be died and comlortcd him 10
his last hours by promising to adopt his Two
Youngest chidrcu-Gcorgc Washington Parkc
GUSTS, aud Eauor rarko Gusts, who sub
seauenty married nephew Of LaWroDce Lewis.
George w. i. Cusis and lis sister were then
small children, and soon after we're taken to Mt.
Vernou. After tho death Of Washingto in 1893,
and OF his mother in May, 1901, he spent somo
time 10 settling up the estate, aud ln 1902 or ne
removed to Arlington, and at once commenced
the erection Of the stately old mansion; selecting
site-irom which the finest VeW OF tho city IS
obtained, about 200 feet above the river, and
half mile from the shore. This mansion was
built CT brick made On tho place, fully halt
mile from the house, directly on tho line dl7ld,
| ing it from Alexandria, and it was commenced
| in 1904, the same year Custls married Mis-:
1 Mary A. Fitzhugh. A portion ct the house
was not completed until alter the var OF lSl2'
/ It is of brick, succeed and modelled alter the
temple at Pacstum, near Naples. Mr.. anc
Mrs. Gusts here lived for over half century
and in true Virginia style received their friends
Scarcely any enc of note visiting the capita
| failed to poy their respects to tho master o.
Arlington; aad tho Custlscs were ACQUAINTED
With all the lcadi0g people Of tho couotry. Mr
Gusts at the time of his death owned some
thing like POO slaves; the most OF whom were
UU tuC lia5teiu o'iOiO Plautotioni ohN
at another plantation in Fairfax county, "a
Hc was however not hard master, aEi wa
regarded by his slaves as their best friend
Mr.. GUSTS had but one child who reached ma
I1rity, Mary Ann Raudol Jpn Lee. the wife
lR,,bert H. Lee, tho Confederate chlcltsln, thel
a lieutenant 10 the u. S. army, and subsequent
lly lieutenant colonel Of engineers, on duty
the engineer bureau in this city for many year
previous to the war Of the rebellion: Mrs
| GUSTS died at Arlington, 10 April. 1853. an
| MIR. Gusts died Ootober 10Th, 1921, the iol
mer aged 65 and the latter 7G. Mr.. Gusts
will bears date Of March 25th, 1855, and tn
bequest as to this property is as follows:
IL give and bequeath to my dearly bclove
daughter aud ooly child, Mary Ann Randolp
Lee, my Arlington House estate, in the count
Of Alexandria, and State of Virginia, contain
Ii ing eleven hundred acres, moro or less, and n
mill, on Four Mile Run, in the county Of Ale
andria, and the lands Of mine adjacent to sa
mill, in the counties of Alexandria and Fairla