The National tribune., 1895-12-05
RALLYING TO THE
FIRST CALL.
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Massachusetts men. We remained in
Baltimore until Thursday. May 16,
when we returned to the Relay House,
and on Saturday, May Is, we proceeded
to Washington, and were assigned to q
beautiful camp site at Kalorama Hights.
Here on Friday, May "a, We were mus
tered into the United States service for
three months by Maj. Irwin Mcdowell,
L. s. a.
With heads uncovered and right
hands extended, we
swoRE ALLEGIANCE
to the United States and to defend its
flag.
On Sunday, May 26, we proceeded
by the Long Bridge to Virginia, and
were soon at Lees Mansion, on Airing
ton Hights, in the rear of and around
which house we pitched our tents and
made what was to be our camp for the
balance of our term of service.
We we're the Headquarters guard.
Gen. Mcdowell made the parlor of the
house his Headquarters, but slept in a
tent close by. The conservatory was
used for Quartermaster's stores.
This Arlington House and grounds,
now the National Cemetery, deserves
more than passing notice. 1t was
named in honor of the Earl of Airing
ton; it was bought by the Alexander
family, after whom Alexandria is named;
then by John Parke Gusts, whose
mother, the widow Martha, married
George Washington; from him it de-
scended to his son, George Washington
Parke Custis, whose daughter married
Lieut., Robert Z. Lee III the very parlor
where Mcdowell had now his Head
quarters.
Lee and his wife lived in this beauti-
ful mansion, which overlooked the Po-
tomac, and from its porch could be
plainly seen the National Capitol, the
Washington Monument, and the White
House. In this house Robert f. Lee
wrote his resignation from the United
States Army, Sunday, April q, and it
was sent to Gen. Scott on Monday, and
on that day Lee and his family de-
parted for Richmond, never to return,
as the next day he accepted the COM
mand of the Confederate army.
After the Bull Run battle the house
was used as hospital. In May, 1864,
the Government began to use the
grounds for the burial of the dead.
To-day it is the most beautiful National
Cemetery in the United States. 1t con-
tains over 10000 graves. Here are |
buried some of our most
DISTINGUISHED HEROES.
Gen. Sheridan's splendid tomb and
beautiful memorial is just in front of the
house, and here are the graves of Gems.
Meigs, Heintzelman, Ricketts,, Paul,
Crook, and others, as also Admiral
Porter, and here is the tomb containing
the bones of 5000 unknown dead.
The Lee Mansion is now the quarters
IF the Superintendent of the National
Cemetery, and the parlor is now the
1fiice, where visitors are requested to
register their names. This Lee Mansion
md estate was confscated by order of
Stanton, but, being the prop
,rty of Idrs Lee, it raised complicated
egal question, which it was thought
pest to compromise, and this magnif-
cent estate of 1900 acres was legally
transferred to the United States by Mrs.
Lee on payment of s150,000, and is now
. Government reservation.
The members of my company (B, Sth
n. Y. will have no difficulty now in find
ng the location of their company street;
Is just at the foot of our street, and in
.he rear of our c0ok-tent, was a grave
mound and small monument inscribed
70 the memory of George Washington
Parke Gusts and his wife, Mary Lee
Gusts, and the inscription, " Blessed are
he merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy -; and right there, in this silent
,ity of the dead, stands this little me-
norial to-day. Here, on these beauti-
ul grounds surrounding the mansion,
We staid during the remainder of May
md June. The work every day was
he regular routine of soldiers duty
yuard-mount and guards for Gen. Nc
Dowell's Headquarters and for camp and
picket duty, company drills, and dress
parade.
On Monday, June II, all the Union
orces-about 10000 men-had grand
'eview near the Long Bridge in presence
If President Lincoln and his Cabinet
t was grand sight, and the forces
eemed strong enough to suppress the
evolt of our Southern brethren.
L