El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-08

the world that contain more interest
| ing features than does beautiful Ar
| nngton. the place which the United
! States government has selected for
the last resting place of its soldiers
| and sailors and which contains over
22,0 900 graves. Its location is all that
/ could be desired from the standpoint
! of natural beauty, as it is on high
| ground commanding q view across the
! the Potomac of the city of Washing
! ton and all its manifold beauties. In
/ addition, it possesses historic value
/ from having been the country home
| of several persons intimately con-
| nected with the history of the ma
! ton.
Part Of Custis Estate.
The grounds comprising the ceme
| terry are part of the original GUSTS
| estate formerly known as Arlington
Heights" The property belonged first
! to John Parke Custis, who was a son
| of Martha Washington by her first
marriage. He was aid-de-camp 20
Washington during the war of the
revolution and died on November 5.
! 1871, of camp fever contracted during
| the siege Of Yorktown. Upon his
death, Washington adopted his two
children, George Washington Parke
, GUSTS and Eleanor Parke GUSTS.
George Washington Farke GUSTS in
herited the Arlington estate" from
his father, but he was member Of
! Washington's family until the death
of the later in 1893, when he removed
to Arlington where he resided until
I he died in 1857. He had only one
child, a daughter, to whom he be-
queathed the Arlington House estate
by a will dated March 26, 1885.
This daughter, Mary Ann Randolph
Lee, was the wife of Gen. Robert Z.
Lee. She was to have the use of Ar
lington during her life, after which
it was to revert to her son, George
Washington Custts Lee, and his heirs
forever Robert E Lee, who was
colonel in the United States army be-
| fore the breaking out of the civil war,
resided at Arlington and left it to
enter the service of Virginia on the
secession of that state For this rea-
son it has seemed especially fitting
that now when past differences are
overcome, the confederate, as well as
the union soldiers, should rest in
spot having such touching asSocia-
tons for both. The story of how Ar
lington was acquired by the federal
government first in payment of de-
linquent taxes and Of the suit which
followed by which the United States
finally paid $780, 600 additional fer the
property has been frequently told
Five Principal Entrances.
The National cemetery at Arlington
now contains between 400 and 500
acres of ground enclosed by a sub
stantial brick and stone wall It has
eastern and one upon the western
side. Those upon the eastern front
are designated as the North. McClel-
Ian, Sheridan and South gateways.
There are two stone columns, one on
each side of the North gateway. on
which are inscribed the names OF
ord" and "Weitzel" The Sheridan
gateway has two columns on each side
and the four are surmounted by
stone tablet upon which the name of
Sheridan" is inscribed. The four
columns contain the names of Lin
cOln,' Grant" stanton" and Scott"
| The South gateway is built of Seneca
sandstone in the form of a massive
upon two columns. The name of
Mcclellan" is engraved upon the cap
stone and the names Of Hooker" and
Burnside" upon the columns. In this
way even the entrances TO the Gene
terry commemorate the memory of the
men who defended the nation in her
need The Mcclellan gateway was
originally known as the South gate
way. while the present South gate was
originally called the New gate
The grounds inside are divided into
numerous sections with tastefully ar
ranged avenues, drives and walks sepa-
rating them. Numerous bronze tab
let's bearing appropriate inscriptions
are scattered throughout the grounds,
as well as many monuments of differ
ent kinds erected either to commemo-
rate a single hero or a group of men
connected with some particular event.
New Plot for Confederate Dead.
There are now inferred in Arlington
1882 known and 1890 unknown dead.
Each grave is marked by a marble
tablet erected by the United States
government unless there is some pro-
vision for marking them by private
auspices. One Of the newest additions
to be made to Arlington is the prepa-
ration of a section to which has been
gathered all of the confederate dead
already at Arlington and within the
District Of Columbia, for which pur-
pose a special appropriation was made
by congress. This section comprises /
three and half acres. which is an
propriately decorated with shrubbery
and flowers, while preparations for
the erection of a handsome memorial
monument are now under way.
The government has made provision
Tor marking graves of known soldiers
uniformly with headstones of the best
American white marble SO inches long
II inches wide and inches thick.
The portion of the stone which will
De above ground is sand rubbed. Each
maidstone is inscribed with the name \
rank Off above private). the company
state and regiment or other organiza-
ton to which the deceased belonged. !
cut in relief within sunken shield
NO deviation can be made from the
above Specifications, which are pre-
oNAlDGu ~ the secretary OF war. 1nere
are thousands of these simple head
stones in carefully arranged plots in
Arlington, although their counter
parts can be found in each of the ma
tional cemeteries in the country
Army Nurses Buried at Arlington.
1t is interesting to know that the
women who served their country as
nurses are also entitled to be buried
in Arlington, and that, if necessary,
the government will provide appro-
pirate headstOnes. One of the most
interesting monuments is erected upon
a small section devoted to the nurses
in the Spanish war. At present there
are only eight nurses buried upon this
plot, but there is room for other
graves as they are needed
In September, 1866, there was erect
ed an imposing monument to the mem
DRY of 2,111 unknown dead who died
either in the battle of Bull Run or
along the route to the Rappahannock
This was practically the beginning of
the utilization of Arlington as a ma
tional cemetery. The monument is Of
massive gray granite, and is now suf-
ficiently moss grown to add greatly to
its interest.
Each year additions are made TO the
monumental wealth of Arlington. Last
year there was an impressive cere-
mony, attended by thousands of peO-
pie, connected with the dedication OF
a monument to Maj LEnfant, which