The evening times., 1901-05-18
RBINTBRMEN97 OF SOLDIERS
Plans for the Removal of C0nfeG-
crate Dead 10 Arlington.

All the Graves 10 Ee Dug Before AC-
tuaI Work of Ira arlsfer Begins
Space to BE Left in the New Sec
tion for "A Suitable Monument
It will be nearly twenty days before the
taking of the remains of the Confederate
soldiers from their graves in Soldiers
Home, or at Arlington. TO be reinforced in
the new plot Of ground set apart for mar
tyrs to the Lost Cause in Arlington Gene
tery, commences. BY that time however.
26+ graves VIII have been dug and viii be
ready for the reception of the remains.
and in about ten days more the sacred
bones of all the Southern heroes viii have
been reinterred.
r. W. Darby, to whom the contract for
removing the bodies and placing them in
the new location was let by the War De-
partment, thinks that at least month
viii be necessary to complete the work
While it is under way Memorial Day will
come and go, and it is probable that many
If not all the soldiers buried there, will
have to go one year unhonored-
Mr. Darby says he will begin work on
Monday and viii carry it out according to
definite plan, the first feature of which
will be the digging of the entire num-
Der of graves before a single body is ex-
humed. Fhis is to simplify the work of
handling the remains.
he war Department has planned that
the bodies shall be buried in a circle. and
the entire space given up to them will be
ABOUT "0D feet in diameter The bodies
VIII be placed concentricaHy around in
nan ooZen rows the headstones all fac
ing toward the middle. At the centre viii
he = l.
memorial shaft. 1t is understood that
among the women of the South there is
already an agitation looking toward the
erection Of some fitting monument in
this space by popular sUbscription. The
circular plot VIII be intersected by wind
ing paths and walks
The idea of having all the Conf federate
dead placed at Arlington arose from some
speeches which President Mckinley made
when touring the South. in which he sug-
gested that it would be proper for the
Government to care for the dead of both
armies This resulted in a bin being pass
ed by Congress which appropriated g 5n
Tor the removal Of the Confederate dead
IN Soldiers Home and Arlington and
their disposition in the spot set apart for
them IN Arlington. The Confederate
graves were scattered and hard to find.
anu A4SLiGe SlIer6u from neglect
TIE place where they are now to be put
IS one Of the most conspicuous and most
beautiful IN the new part of the cemetery.
1t stands just across the main road run
ning through the new part of the burning
ground. almost opposite the Cuban sec
ton With the Confederate dead all in
one place surrounding, perhaps, a fine
monument. they will il is thought. re-
ceiEe all the attention and notice that
could be desired
OF the 2Cf bodies I2s are at Soldiers
Home and 136 are in Arlington. It is in
tended that they shall be arranged in the
new plot according to the States from
winch they enlisted. It is because Of
this arrangement that AIr. Darby will
have 20 dig all the graves first. In order
to properly re-inter them, he will have
the work 50 arranged as to enable him
to place each body in the section where it
belongs when he begins the work of re-
intermert- There is some difficulty in
Identifying all the graFes, aud the War
Department is now doing ali in its power
TO verify completely the list it has.
The contractor says he does not expect
to find much IN the way Of remains when
he digs for the bodies. The bodies we're
buried in simple collins. and probably the
wood has all decayed, ana the larger part
Of the bones disappeared long before this
time Whatever is found viii be put into
q suitable coffin and buried again. At the
head of each grave viii be placed a stone
three feet high, fourteen inches wide. and
four inches thick, bearing an Inscription
in black letters. giving the name and
rank Of the soldier. and the regiment in
which he served