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On today in historical past, June 15, 1864, Arlington Nationwide Cemetery, our nation’s honorable navy cemetery, was formally established.
The nationwide cemetery started with the seizure of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s hilltop dwelling after he defected to the Confederacy throughout the Civil Warfare, Historical past.com notes.
The cemetery’s origins in Virginia date again to simply earlier than the Civil Warfare.
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George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of President George Washington, owned a 2,700-acre plantation and constructed a memorial to President Washington known as Arlington Home.
It contained the world’s largest assortment of memorabilia associated to the president, based on the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs.
A trumpeter from the US Navy Ceremonial Band performs “Faucets” throughout navy funeral honors for a US Navy Gunner’s Mate third Class at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, on February 23, 2023. (U.S. Military photograph by Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington Nationwide Cemetery)
“Possession of his property handed to Custis’ daughter, who had married Robert E. Lee, they usually lived at Arlington Home for greater than thirty years,” says the identical supply.
Lee, a local Virginian, reportedly spent the night time at his then-home, Arlington Property, as he debated whether or not to guide the Union military – or battle for his dwelling state’s Confederacy.
He resigned from the U.S. Military on April 20, 1861, based on the identical supply.
“Due to its elevated location on a hilltop overlooking Washington, D.C., Lee knew that Union forces would possible seize the property.”
“He left for Richmond, Virginia, the subsequent day, telling his spouse, the great-granddaughter of first girl Martha Washington, to depart their dwelling,” based on Historical past.com.
“Due to its elevated location on a hilltop overlooking Washington, D.C., Lee knew that Union forces would possible seize the property, which on the time was in a predominantly rural space.”
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Though Mrs. Lee resisted at first, she accepted the inevitable Union takeover of the household property.
On Might 24, 1864, Union troops entered Arlington and occupied the home, a number of sources be aware.
Memorial Day flags are displayed in entrance of gravestones at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The primary soldier was buried in Arlington in Might 1864. (iStock)
As a result of in poor health will in opposition to the South, held by Union Brig. Gen. Montgomery Meigs, and the necessity for cemeteries for the Union useless, this Arlington drive commander urged the federal authorities to transform 500 acres of Lee’s property right into a cemetery, based on the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs.
The primary soldier was buried in Arlington in Might 1864.
By the tip of the Civil Warfare, 16,000 graves stuffed the areas close to Arlington Home, the identical supply says.
Inside a yr, greater than 5,000 troopers, principally troopers, had been buried there.
William Henry Christman was the primary particular person buried in Arlington on Might 13, 1864, based on Historical past.com. The Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, resident died of measles and had served within the navy for under about 60 days, the identical supply mentioned.
“A few month later, on June 15, Secretary of Warfare Edwin Stanton ordered that the brand new cemetery change into Arlington Nationwide Cemetery, which on the time coated roughly 200 acres. Inside a yr, greater than 5,000 troopers, principally privates, had been buried there.” , says Historical past.com.
Normal Meigs, who died Jan. 2, 1892, was buried in Arlington along with his spouse, father and son, based on the Library of Congress.
A hen flies away as a U.S. Military bugler faucets throughout an honors burial at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery in November 2014. (Mark Wilson/Getty Photos)
Arlington turned a segregated cemetery, as did all nationwide cemeteries on the time. It remained segregated by race and rank till 1948, when President Harry S. Truman desegregated the navy, based on the official location of Arlington Nationwide Cemetery.
The primary official “Ornament Day,” later renamed Memorial Day, was held on Might 30, 1868 at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery.
Two American presidents are buried in Arlington.
This custom continues right now – and is without doubt one of the causes Arlington grew from certainly one of many nationwide cemeteries to the premier nationwide navy cemetery, based on the official Arlington Nationwide Cemetery web site.
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One other essential milestone within the historical past of the cemetery is the development of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, inaugurated on November 11, 1921, with the burial of the Unknown from the First World Warfare, as instructed on the identical website.
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Two American presidents are buried in Arlington.
President William Howard Taft was buried in Arlington in 1930 and, based on a number of sources, President John F. Kennedy turned the second on November 25, 1963.
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Right now the cemetery covers 639 hectares. About 400,000 veterans and their eligible dependents have been buried, based on Historical past.com.
Erica Lamberg is a contributing author for Fox Information Digital.
On today in historical past, June 15, 1864, Arlington Nationwide Cemetery in Virginia is based
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