The sun., 1895-05-26
WOMEN WITH SOLDIERS.
1BTRTr oETHEw a MoNG THE 10000
VETERANS BGRIED At DARLINGTON.

VETERANS BURIED At DARLINGTON.
There In Order that Their Wives M,rbt
Finally Rest Beside Them The Fir.t
Burial Was that or Rebel soldier
WARRINGTON. May o5.-vcry few people know
that about thirty women and several children
lie among the 10000 veterans whose nslcs rest
under the beautiful oaks at Arlington. Nor is It
generally known that the law permits the VIII,
of any officer in the regular or volunteer army
or navy to BE- buried there. The same privilege
pertains to all of the eighty national cemw.r,rs
in which the veterans of the war are nrr., d.
with the exception Of that alta he'd to the Sn-
dier,' Horne in Washington. The latter hpluurs
to the regular army, and 1t Is not maintaiL,d
by a Congressional appropriation. but by a tax
of - cents month upon all the officers and
soldiers in the regular service, the Pa., uses,..-
General being authorized to transfer tha-
amount from the appropriation for the pay ~
tho army to the credit of the Commissioners ot
the soldiers Home. who are the General of tho
Army and the heads OF the Quarternastcr's and
Commissary Departments.
II was originally proposed to bury Cen Shr,t.
dan at tho top of one OF the shady knobs IN II O
park that surrounds the soldiers Home. but h's
widow would not permit II because she coui
not lie there by his side. The same is true ,f
Gen. Logan. Mrs. Logan selected site for hi,
tomb on the grounds of the Soldiers Home, ami
orders were issued by the Commissioners for
the preparation Of n vault to receive his Caskety
but when she WAS confronted with the inrxo.
rable rule prohibiting the burial OF n woman
there. she selected lot In Rock Creek Gene
tory. which lies Just across the highway. where
she has since erected an elaborate mortuary
chapel. large enough TO contain the bodies of
her children and grandchildren for several
generations.
Gen. Sheridan's body lies on the grassy siope
in front Of the old mansion at Arlington with a
dignfed and imposing monument, and his
widow will be buried there also. At the other
end Of the lawn, in u corresponding position,
lies Admiral Porter, and his widow viii havo
a place at his side.
Other women who viii somc time have con.
spicrous burial places st Arlington ore tho
widow Of Gen. Ricketts,, who commanded a 6r-
gade or division or a corps in twenty-scvcn bat
Ties and in five Of them was wounded so
severely that he had to be carried off the field.
He served year in Libbey Prison. and when
exhangei wont down the Shenandoah. Valley in
command OF the Sixth Army Corps. and fought
with Sheridan until he received the wounds
which caused his death.
Mrs. Paul. the widow OF a gallant soldier who
lost his eyes by the explosion of shell. ana for
many years was wandering blind around tho
streets Of Washington, will find her final home
there also; and Mrs Heintzelman. whose hus-
band was hero of two wars.
They wanted to bury Gen. Crook in Omaha, "a
they wanted TO bury Sheridan and Logan in
Chicago. but the widow of the great Indian
fighter consented 10 let his remains rest at Ar
lington. provided she might lie by his side
The first woman buried at Arlington after il
became military cemetery was Louisa Roger
Megs. the daughter Gt the famous Comnlodore
Meigs. who was Quarterrnuster-(ieneral OF the
FEDERAL armies throughout The war. whose
millions Of soldiers We're quite as "erd rdno3s ana M1
importsnt AS thoss Of the Generals who CONF
Meigs and her daughter lie ina beautiful marble
sarcophaSus. On one side is the bCdv of the GEN.
' 70 hS nnIEe nsE WIS e cs ,s
sna s on d tine Rnrs 9ner sds s is The his son
ehef Of o IN eSs .Ss
killed at the battle Of Winchester. His grave
is marked by block Of beautiful marble. upon
der q @ in fhp the posture II which hi body las when
may Be- reraed as iSe louner Of the Asns AMEaE
cSSmsssry Ss s1s s and i was anoroDra
The Arlington estate which is our national
Metropolis, stretches along tho Potomac River
for considerable distance. with the old Ma
tlonnl pike between Georgetown and Alexandria
marking its southern boundary. The place was
part I Of grnn m vIn made by sir William KcrkeIey.
AFlinH,9n The property was first sold to the
its name, and then passed into tho hands Of
John Pnrke Custis tn. son. by her first mar
passed to his son. George Washineton Fan Parks
se Tss un,ea rFFsa as to Ls aty
June 30, 1881. b. the. Rev. William Meade.
room Of the old mansion where visitors arc nos:
requested TO register their names. She inherited
was the home Of the great chieftan of tho Con-
when Fort sumter was fired upon.
down IN the corner toward Alexandria, whero
several hundred Confederate dead nrn hurried
are ;! two simple tablets that mark the graves OF
GUSTS. his wife. They were erected by Mrs.
fobert r. Lee; and have no Inscription except
The names and dates and the words
nsrey. es:so are 'A' Here''u'' for they shall obtain
The letter in which Col. Lee resigned his COM
IN SATURDAY April 60 1851 ''aeH Snd w Was f"sl br"sh
,yer 70 WsshinFton by himself and handed 10
" ss mcps ce e Of R M9y
wife and children. left Arlington for Rich.nondi
sna on the d
Ihe venerable steward of the Lee estate re,
OF Of Bn fhf n 1ha
mansion hospital and was "s ssd ss fore that hat
,ot until the 18th Of May. 1861. that the body
4 4 a. q soldier was buried within its gates Gen.
ended III. iniermcnt Of the frst body. Which
= vas that 9f Confederate who died in The hos
nat OF Edward !. Fisher. a sergeant in Com
'any y, Fortieth New York Infantry. who
.lso died in the old mansion. bur.
ng the two months following. 2.6l9 Federal
old!ers were buried there. including 2;,l col
red men and about 40 Confederates. The ros-
er OF the silent army that camps there now
mbraces more than 10000 names. Long rows
Z I long. white headstones mark the graves Of
ne privates. and imposing shafts Of marble and
ranite that CLEAN through the foliage show
ihere the officers rest. The Government fur.
lshes only simple white marble head stones and
ootstones, with only a reference number corre-
ponding to the record books. but the friends Of
hose who are buried there may erect any mon.
ment that may suit their taste.
Few months before the first burial the prop.
rty was sold at auction under the direct tnr
aw, and was purchased by Quartermaste ter Gen.
Tai Meigs for the use OF the Government.
'either Gen. Lee nor his wife ever made any
empt to recover 1t. but In 1877 their son,
leorge Washington Custis Lee. brought suit
. tho United States Circuit Court vt Alexandria
Or tho ejectment OF Frederick Kaufman. the
aperintendent OF the cemetery. and Col. 4. 7.
trong. the commanding officer at Fort Whip
ie, the military post adjoining. now called Fort
iyer. which was also upon the Lee estate. The