Evening star., 1896-10-14
CAMPS of the Soldiers Who Died fol
Native Land.
READY FOR REVEILLE At ARLINGTON
Monuments to Great Men and
Tributes to the Brave Unknown.
ASLEEP UNDER GREAT TREES

Whenever the veterans of the late war
are gathered at the nations capital there is
no pilgrimage so fraught with interest as
that to the great cemeteries about the
city, where lie buried the bodies of thou
sands of men who gave up their lives In
defense Of their country.
No nation has cared for the remains OF
it's dead heroes or honored their memory
as this has done. The establishment of
system Of national cemeteries was new
conception in governmental methods. There
are in this country about eighty such ma
tional cemeteries. in which repose the bod
les of upward of 4OO,OOO soldiers of the
late war. These are chiefly located In the
southern states, in the vicinity OF great
buttlefields, but few of them are In the
north. Four of these, Alexandria and Ar
lington, Va, and Battle and Soldiers
Home, D. c.. are In the suburbs Of Wash
ington. There Is also one at Laurel, Mo-.
some eighteen miles from this city.
a stroll through these silent cities OF the
dead cannot but be interesting to the sur
vivors Of the war, and doubtless many OF OF
the visiting members of the U. V. l.. Will
want to take it, For SUCH brief descr1p-
ton of these places would be of decided
value.
Alex1ndrin Cemetery.
The Alexandria National cemetery Is
pleasantly situated on Hunting creek. at
the west end Of Wilkes street 1t can be
reached either by way of King and Alfred.
King and Patrick. or King and Paine
streets. There are four acres in the Gem
etery, which contains the remains of some
four thousand Union soldiers, gathered
frcm the hospitals and battlenelds of
the vicinity, one hundred ana n twenty
ior Is quite attractive, many fine trees and
shrubs adding beauty to the honored spot.
No soldiers of any great eminence are bur-
ried here. but near the center of the cem-
etery, standing or an elevated plateau. is
the "Firehen's Monument" which was
erected after the war to the memory of
citizen firemen of Alexandria,. who lost
while in pursuit of Booth after the assas-
sination of President Lincoln
The city of Alexandria, which is inter-
esting to visitors on many accounts, can
foot of 7th street or by electric from
1872 street and Pennsylvania avenue.
At Arlington.
Arlington, one of the most historic spots
| in the vicinity of the capital, is located on
an emnence on the Virginia shore of the
Potomac and is convenient of access from
| this city. 1t can be reached by either the
Long bridge or the Aqueduct bridge. the
| the most pleasant. The Washington, Alex
| andria and Mt. Vernon line carries its pas
| sengers within a short distance Of Airing
| ton.
| The cars of the Metropolitan and the Cap
| ital Traction lines carry passengers within
| a short distance of the Aqueduct bridge
| Reaching the Virginia side of the rivel
| visions and memories of the late san
| culinary struggle crowd upon one thick ant
| fast AS one approaches Fort Myer, th'
| remains Of old Fort Haggerty are visible
| on the left, looking toward the Potomac
| Fort Myer is soon reached, and movin,
| along an elevated platform, the site of oil
| Fort Whipple, the officers quarters beini
| on the right. a magnificent view Of Wash
ington to the east delights the vision. TIL
elevation here is $50 feet above the river
and the point is 3al miles from the Capitol
The fort was known as Fort Whipple dur
ing the war, and was regarded by militar
men as one of the strongest of the defen
sive works which encircled Washington
| At the close of the war it was converte
| into camp of instruction for the sigma
| service, and now Fort Myer Is a cavalr
| post
The forts on the heights of Arlingto
were the first connected with the defense
| of Washington that were erected, and tn
idea of their construction was suggeste
| by Gen. Mansfield early in May, 1861. H
| was then in command Of the troops in tn
vicinity of the city. When the height
| were taken possession of by the troops
| May "a. the Custis or Lee mansion wa
found to be abandoned.
| The Lee mansion is now used as the offiC
. building for the cemetery, and is one Of tn
: most imposing structures In the neighbol
, | hood. Arlington, a cemetery, es
| tablished in 1867. 1t was part Of the estat
Of the late Robert E. Lee at the outbrea
ton Heights. Prior to Gen. Lees prt