The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-04


Philippines, was said In Arlington net
long ago, and within the recent past
Rear Admiral Sampson has been placed
here beside the bodies AZ bis glorious
predecessor 5.
Built by George Washington Farke
Gusts, grandson Of Martha Washing
ton. Arlington was for almost . CEN
fury the home OF one of the first fami-
hes of the south. and il was from the
son-in-law Of this Cusufs, Robert E.
mics, that the federal government took
the estate soon after the outbreak Of
the war;
During tie latter part Of the war the
Old Lee m"ngion was used as head
quarters by the Army Of the Potomac.
and the burial of soldiers in the'
grounds; about 1t began in the time 81
this military occupation Curiously the
first to. be buried here was q Confed-
crate soldier who died a captive In
the former home Of his general. In
1861 the National cemetery was estab-
hshed, and on May 40, 1870, it was
formally dedicated. Since then 10, Me-.
mortal day has failed 70 leave seine
mark Of honor here.
The cid mansion has been Httle
changed since it's erection The classic.
simplicity Of its architecture, modelled
after the pantheon at Paestum. italy.
has nat been defiied. and even the hunt
ing scenes painted on the walls. by the
mansions first ewne- have not been
disturbed.
The orginaf estate consisted Of 4,100
acres, and the greater part of this is
still unused for burial purposes, giving
Arlington as much the appearance Of
3 park as that Of burial ground. The
view from the mansion toward the
capitol is unobstructed. and to one
standing on the portico the city lies
spread out like a panorama On the
terrace in front of the house stands the
imposing monument Of General Philip
81. Sheridan, and near it that of Gen
eral Crook, the conqueror of Geronimo.
Admiral Porter also is buried here, and
Generals Baxter, Berdan. Ricketts,,
Meigs, Bur1ette, Rousseau, Watkins
and Doubleday, General Gresham, who
died while serving as Cleveiand's Sec
rotary of state; General John Gibbon,
who helped turn back Pickett's charge,
and a host of others not less cour-
ageous.
Half mile south of the mansion are
the graves of the officers who fell in
the war with Spain. Captain Allyn X.
Capron of the rough riders, General
Guy V. Henry. first American govern
or of Porto Rico; Admiral Sampson
General La wton and many more Near
them lie the victims of the Maine ex-
plosion. One Of the newest of the
commemorative shafts is that in honor
Of the men who fell in the fight to free
the oppressed of Asia and the West In
dies.
Many and magnificent as are the in
dividual and regimental monuments
and the commemorative shafts. per-
haps the most striking feature of the
cemetery is the vast level plateau given
over to private soldiers Here seem
tngly endless rows of headstones, uni
form in size and style, stretch as far
as the eye can see, thousands of SOL
diers resting beneath them in battalion
array awaiting the final bugle. call.
Near the mansion is the famous tomb
Of the unknown dead, where over 2,OOO
bodies, brought unidentified from the
great battlefeids Of the civil war, have
been buried in wide, deep grave.
It is not generally known that vet
Grams are permitted to. choose their
own grave sites.sbut 1t Ia so. and sew
eral hundred men who are still linger-
ing on the rolls of the Grand Army
have already picked out the places
where they are to go when their lives
are ended. SAMUEL HUBBARD.