The Washington herald., 1907-07-28


nature spots in the vicinity OF the ma
TONS eapital-Arlington National Gene
tery. It is the city Of the hOnOred dead
a haunt of ancient peace" Thick they
lie here, the stately granite and marble
monuments, like jewels set in an en-
erald field. and as the visitors pass along
the well-kept walks the conversation is
hushed and low-voiced. Here many peO-
pie for the first time in their lives-as
they see the thick-strewn graves-seem 10
realize something of the price the na-
tion's children paid for liberty.
On one side of the cemetery as you
enter through the upper gate is the Of
fcers section: on the other the section
for the privates. To the right, where the
officers lie buried, the monuments are
costly and pretentious. There are marble
monoliths reaching toward the sky, pom
derous cubes and crosses of granite, beau
titled by the hand of the sculptor. and at
their foot often you shall see the pa
thetic mound half buried beneath a mass
Of clinging ivy. There are flowers here
always. brought by loving hands. and
here and there about the silent field a
dropping flag. its staff stuck in the turf
shows that some patriotic son or daugh-
ter remembers full well for what great
cause the man who repOses here died.
These flags are wondrously eloquent as
unstirred by the breeze. their folds hang
limp, catching the CLINT OF golden sun
Hight that straggles through the branches
of the trees.
It is all so simple in its majesty! There
are no laudatiOns here; no orators to
sound the praises of the men who gave
their lives; even the inscriptions chiseIed
on the stones simply record the names of
the men who lie here, the dates Of birth
and death The stirring history that lies
between those dates-the ambitious boy
hoods. the call TO arms, the bugle' cry
upon the battlefield. the dreadful slaugh
ter. and the sudden death-au this the
visitor must ill in for himself. For these
graves are the veritable pages Of his
tory, each leaf a life and every word
OF II a heroic deed.
And across the way-more eloduently
pathetic stills the privates' section
For here lie an army OF private soldiers
only little way the solemn stone cubes
raise their heads above the velvet turf.
but each one Of them-and, oh, they lie
so thick-represents a heart bereft; an
ache here in the throat! II Is so peace
ful here, and those who lie in these long
burrows have been at rest so long. But
the heart must turn to the army of those
who have survived; who still survive. in
part and who in old age come AIt here
on these glorious summer afternoons and
review the army OF the dead For as in
life they formed according 10 military
un1 do fhnr. f.-
white stones, each bearing the name Of
the soldier who sleeps beneath, his rank.
and the State from which he came are
set in orderly rows, uniform in distance
each from the other, arrayed IN order and
marshaled like battalions.
BiyOuac of the Dead.
About the cemetery there are tablets
set in the grass on which are inscribed
verses from Col Theodore O'Hara's
The Bivouae Of the Dead" and here.
marking the death parade ground Of the
privates. Is this fitting couplet:
On Fame's eternal canping-ground
Their silent tents spread
and goy guards. with solemn round,
The biyouac Of the dead.
There is 10 such place as this where
the thinking man may so enjoy the lux
ury OF contemplation In all the world Il
would be hard TO find a more beautiful
spot Thick with gigantic forest trees
and evergreen pines, set of with beauti-
ful flowers, the land is rolling and uneven.
so that each winding turn brings one to
new delights. It slopes up from the
banks Of the Potomac 10 where the old
mansion or Robert E. Lee still stands.
and from thence one can see, far of. the
T1f fUr rid Of
river there below with sluggish boats
floating idly to the sea, the mystic shad-
oWs OF the farther shore. Behind. amid
the trees through which the odorous wind
sighs now so gently, the lawns and
meadoW-Fidges hang rich In flowers.
though fortunately and wisely the land
scape gardener has left nature alone as
much as possible. Here and there the
shrubbery is wild and tangled. though
mostly the turf is cleaned and weIl-kept
and trim, and art has aided nature as in
the beautiful Druidical amphitheater and
roStrum, where. on Decoration Dav. thou
sands gather beneath the green vines to
hear spoken tributes 10 the dead It is |
only on that day and on days when |
special monuments are dedicated that
We have voice with which 10 pay the debt
or boundless love and reverence and regret
How did this beautiful cemetery ca "a
~plete with historic monuments and ten
der memories come into baing2 This
beautiful tract Of land is part of an orig
inal grant Of 5000 acres given by William /
Berkeley, governor of Virginia, 10 Robert /
HoWsen because he brought over num- !
ber OF settlers into the Virginia colony /
This was in October, 1899, and in the 4
same year this Howsen sold the land for 4
six h0gsheads Of tobacco to John Alex /
andeT. In December, 1773 the land had
descended to Gerald Alexander. who sold /
the Arlington tract of about 100 acres to !
John Parke Custis for LOO pounds in \
Virginia currency
This John Parke Custis was the son
OF Martha Washington by her first mar
rage. He was aid-de-camp to Gen
George Washington during the Revelu-
ton, and when he died, of fever con-
tracted at Yorktown, George Washing
ton adopted his two children. George
Washington PaTke Custis and Eleanor
Parke Custis. It was this adopted boy
who inherited the Arlington estate. and
he resided here until his death in Octo-
Der, 1851 BY his will he devised the
Arlington House estate to mis- daughter,
Mary Ann Randolph Lee wife Of Rob
ert T. Lee, L. S. A, for her use during
her lifetime, and on her death 70 his eld-
est Aandson, George Washington Custis
Lee TO him and his heirs forever.
Sold for Taxes.
By an executive order of the President
OF the United States, dated January s.
1864. the entire tract of 1,lOO acres was
selected for government use for war.
military. charitable. and educational pur-
poses under the provisions Of the acts
Of Congress of June Z. 1862, and Febru-
airy 6, 1858. By the same order il was
dIreCLed that the rrhnartr b snld 70 .