Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-10-24
Arlington Cemetery and the Mansion Of
General. Robert E. Lee.
By A e Friedrich.

AcIoss the placid Potomac ON one
OF those old Virginia heights which
are famed for their grandeur and no.
mantle beauty, and overlooking the
nations capital, is located one of the
nignly renowned places OF American
history the national cemetery and
Lee mansion at Arlington. 1t is diff
. cut 70 determine which Is the greater
attraction, the Lee home or the sur
rounding tract where thousands of
our country's heroes have found their
last resting place. In that graveyard
sleep over 10000 soldiers who died lin
the war for the union. 1t is conse-
Grated ground. visited by thousands
every year from north and south.
from east and west, who come to do
nonor TO those who gave their lives
That this nation might live"
The history OF Arlington is inter
esting. The builder of the house was
george Washington Parke Gusts.
son OF John Parke Gusts, whose wild
owed mother became Mrs. George
washington. When Colonel John
Parke Gusts died at the siege of
yorktown, Washington adopted the
Two children. George washington
Parks Gusts and Eleanor Parke Gus
us. from that time Gusts was a
member CT the Mount Vernon house.
mold until after the death OF Mrs.
washington In 1902, when he re-,
moved to his Arlington estate. Enjoy
ing honored distinction as the adopted
son OF Washington and entertaining
with lavish hospitality, he drew to
Arlington annually hosts of visitors
and friends. Lafayette was among the
distinguished guests; and many other
friends of Washington came to re-
hearse their recollections of the men
and the events of revolutionary days.
Inc rooms OF the mansion were
graced with rich collection of Wash
ington mementos and memorials
portraits, pictures, silver table ser
vice. and household furniture and orn.
aments-most of them brought from
Mount Vernon. Some of these are
now In the national museum, and
others are in their original places at
Mount Vernon. GUSTS died In 1857.
The marble shafts which. mark his
grave and that of his wife, Mary Leo
Custis, are In retired spot near the
end OF the southwestern plateau I'm.
on the death of Gusts, Arlington
passed to the children OF his only
daughter. Mary Gusts Lee, wife OF
Colonel Robert e. Lee OF the United
States army, to whom she had been
married In the drawing room of the
Arlington house where today visitors
register their names. When the civi,
war broke out, Colonel Lee resigned
from the federal service. On April 22
1861. he left Arlington and went with
MS family to Richmond, there to take
command OF the Virginia troops, and
afterwAd to become the commander.
m-chief of the confederate army. His
family retired further into Virginia.
hardly had the Lees gone when the
federal troops took possession and
converted the mansion into head.
quarters and the grounds into a camp.
Then, as the war went on and battles
were fought a hospital was estab.
nshed there and when other AVIAN.
able cemetery grounos mo longer
suiiiced for the burial of the dead. the
level plateaus and grassy slopes of
Arlington were by order of Quarter.
master General Meigs devoted to the
purpose OF a military cemetery. The
FIRST grave prepared was for a con.
federate prisoner who had died in the
hospital.
In 1864 the property was sold for
delinquent taxes. The governments
acquisition of the property was prac.
ucally confsscatory and the govern
ment bought 1t, paying $4,000 but
In 1877 George Washington Gusts
Lee. heir under the Curtis will. was.
Tor sentimental reasons. given an ad.
justment to his satisfaction by the
payment to him by the United States
OF s15o.000 There is remarkable
dinerence between this amount and
that paid for its conveyance to earlier
possessors The original grant, com.
prising 40S 1-S acres. form one OF the
ernor Berkeley to Robert Howsen, In
1869 he conveyed II to John Alexan.
der, the consideration being six hogs.
heads OF tobacco. In IT'S II was sold
for two pounds OF sterling,
The grounds of the cemetery. con-.
prising ios is acres. form one of the
most beautiful places about the car
ital city. There is a hill zoo feet In
height upon the brow OF which the
mansion is located. From the brick.
paved portico a beautiful view Of
river and city is had. broken only Nv
flagstaff with half a dozen guy
wires. This obtrusion is horriblel And
" the government has landscape
gardener his services are badly needed
at Arlington. To look out from the
slightly home directly against that bi.
selecting pole and its multisecting
wires is an evaporation from which
one does not soon recover. But the
masses OF gaudy flowers under glori.