Consider that hallowed ground beneath our feet. We stand at the Civil War Cemetary. This cemetery is a place of honor and remembrance. It is a section within the larger Arlington National Cemetery.
The Civil War Cemetary is a somber reminder of a divided nation. Arlington National Cemetery was established during the Civil War. It was founded on May 13 1864. The land was once part of the Arlington Estate. The U.S. government confiscated it from Robert E. Lee’s family. Lee was a Confederate general. This confiscation followed a tax dispute.
Before the Civil War, this land belonged to George Washington Parke Custis. He was Martha Washington’s grandson. Custis built Arlington House here. It was intended as a memorial to George Washington. Later, Custis’s daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis inherited the estate. She married Robert E. Lee.
In April 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. Robert E. Lee resigned his U.S. Army commission. He chose to lead Virginia’s forces. The Union Army soon occupied Arlington. They recognized its strategic importance. It overlooked Washington D.C.
As the Civil War raged, cemeteries in Washington D.C. filled quickly. Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs sought new burial grounds. He chose the Arlington Estate. Meigs had served under Lee. He saw Lee as a traitor. Using Lee’s land for burials was a strategic move. It would render the property unusable to the Lee family.
The first military burial at what is now the Civil War Cemetary took place on May 13 1864. Private William Henry Christman was interred here. He died of measles. He never saw battle. Private William H. McKinney followed. He was the first to have family present.
The Civil War Cemetary grew rapidly. By August 1864, nearly 30 Union troops were buried near Mrs. Lee’s rose garden. In 1866, Meigs ordered the Tomb of the Civil War Unknown placed there. It holds the remains of 2111 soldiers.
The Civil War Cemetary also became a place for freed slaves. Beginning in 1863, the government established Freedman’s Village here. It provided housing and training for formerly enslaved people. More than 3800 freed people are buried in Section 27.
Ownership of Arlington remained in dispute. George Washington Custis Lee sued the government. In 1882, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Congress then purchased the land for $150000.
Today, Arlington National Cemetery covers 639 acres. It is the final resting place for over 400000 people. This includes veterans and their families. It hosts 27 to 30 funerals each weekday.
The Civil War Cemetary stands as a testament to sacrifice. It reminds us of the human cost of war. It is a place for reflection. It is a place to honor those who served. It is a final, peaceful resting place.