The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-10


pital welcome. and every night closed
and barred with tho same care aH when
tho occupants Of the house hal rntlre1
90 rest When the armed troops swpfmed
UP the Arlington hllsldes they found the
house open ~ them. and as 'heF rum
mayed from garrett 10 cellar. the cherish
Ell Washington rpii = wefr taken oht
with the rther thnes found I'm me
house md Jlr'icd with the recruits
In this way ~ M Curtis art mud treas
ures were scattered I'm every direction.
The mansion house iisef became me
HEADQUARTERS OF the commanders ~ the
troops 1uartere1 on the ground, ana s9om
long iines ~ tents ind sprung 1893 eH
pointing 20 the south. u Tas NOT long he-
fore the house was occupied by me oi
ficers Of Fort Whippie. a garrison loeaien
on the hill west of Arlington " was
later shared with the officers N foft
Nrphrsou. an earth-work thrown NJ ~
Mcclellan n short distance south ~ me
mansion The surgeons stair 90 H"
hospital corps Tls1 established mona
quarters there end beneath the gioirlpl
shade ~ the great OAKS suilvnh'nH.
the house stretched away long hh's ''
white ,enta sholtoring the suffering VIC
ti,'. ~ tbc terrible battles then being
fought washington city had become me
tho hosplt1l base for all the section OF
surrounding country. and as thousands
unon thousands Of Union soldiers had
died I'm it's nfty-six hospitals, from St'
Elizabeth Asylum just across the tasl-
ern branch Of the Potomac, 90 the tents
al Arlington. by the year 1854 the as
posal of the dead bodies or these SOL
diers had become a serious ptonieH'
The solution OF this problem came
about I'm a most unexpected way
a. tho IAfn OF May
1865. a victoria drawn by two spirited II oh
eeravs yyhlrled along the sketch OF land ly-
ing between the White House and George
town. The occupants Of the victoria Weic
two serious, silent men; President LIN
coin and Quarter Master General Melss.
After reaching Georgetown the carriage
bore I'm the direction or the camp nj AZ
Hngton, where later it arrived, and the
TWO men, absorbed I'm their own thoughts
alichted and proceeded 70 investigate
what had called them forth. Lincoln went
for a stroll among the tents. while Melss
was soon deeply engaged IN conference
with the corps Of surgeons which, as
said had been located there.
usrtermaster-G General Meies had been
the Intimate associate Of General Lee
v,ben the latter vas stationed in Washing
TON as assistant 20 Chief Engineer Graiiot
Later in 1881 when Lee was ordered 20 take
charge OF the engineering operations in
the Mississippi Meigs went along as his
assistant. When the disruption OF the
Union came Lee had espoused the cause OH
the Confederacy, while Meigs mad enlisted
heart and brain I'm the active service OF
Union came. As the years wore ON, and mo-
end came I'm sight. Meigs, with MS
ardent nature, became more and more
bitter enemy 10 the south He hated the
oil Elrfbarrnre To him The
word rebel" was a synonym for all that
was base and treacherous. The special OBJ
iect OF his hatrcd-basest and most ueach-
erous Of rebels was his old friend chun.
Robert T.. Lee.
on that afternoon in May, when Presi-
dent Lincoln and Quarter1astcf-Gener-
al Meige were standing upon the terrace
at Arlington, awaiting the arrival on
their carriage so that they might return
to Washington. Meigs seemed TO nave
deeply impressed with the beauty OF
the scene. There II all was, ,he grand
old mansion-house. the mll-sldes ana
oaks of Arlington the shimmerlng
Potomac. the Capital City nesting iu
its broad level BASIN and the distant
MARYLAND bills which the setting sun
tcuci ed tendarly. Nowhere could the
eve rest upon more enchanting picture
and II all belonged 20 that "arch-reOei
who had dare TO defy the Union
Turning % President Lincoln. Meigs
eaid abrllptIv. Lee shall never return 10
Arlington. No matter what the issue Of
the war maybe. the arch-rebel shall
never again enjoy the possession or these
estates"
Just as the cruel sentence was finished
a sad procession came I'm sight, and
passed within a few feet Of the two men
common canvass stretchers, borne By
members OF detailed squad, We're the
bodies of several unfortunates, who
had died in the hospital tents They were
being carried 20 the lower part OF the
grounds to wait the coming OF the
burial squad 20 convey them TO the
already Over-crOWded Soldiers Home
Cemetery stopping the sergeant In com
mand OF the squad, General Meigs asked
How many men are there awaiting
burial here?" "With these a dozen
Sir" answered the sergeant No bod
ies have been taken away during the
weei,"
Let down the stretchers." command
cd RE Ouartermaster- General. Then turn
ing 10 a commissioned officer standing
near he said. Captain. order out the
burial squad and see that an the bod
les al Arlington are buried on the place
az once. Walking few PAGES
bordering on the garden Of the mansion
way. he pointed out the sight terrace
rRurv them re-" he said
The CAPTAIN did as he had been com
handed Within an hours time a lire OF
graves was TO be seen upon the garden
terrace The first interment Of Union
dead had been made at Arlington. the
hour OF fate had done IT'S worst.
and the home OF Lee was lost 70 him
forever.
n. 3. WINSTON.