The world famous Arlington National Cemetery in located in the shadow of
the Custis-Lee Mansion (Arlington House) that was home to General
Robert E. Lee and family until 1861 at the beginning of the War Between
the States.
A wreath-laying ceremony and concert
will be held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honor of Memorial
Day.
Arlington
National Cemetery is the final resting place for those who fought for
the Confederacy and Union during the War Between the States. It is also
the burial place for men and women who fought our nation's wars since
the War Between the States.
There are 245,000 Servicemen and Women, including their families, buried at Arlington?
The
world famous Arlington National Cemetery in located in the shadow of
the Custis-Lee Mansion (Arlington House) that was home to General Robert
E. Lee and family until 1861 at the beginning of the War Between the
States. This cemetery is on the Virginia side of the Potomac River and
Washington, D.C. is across the river.
In 1864, Union soldiers were first buried here and by the end of the war the number rose to 16,000.
The
Union burial site at Arlington National Cemetery is located at (section
13). Also buried at Arlington include: President John F. Kennedy,
General Jonathan M. Wainwright, Actor-War Hero Audie Murphy and the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier.
About the turn of the century 1900 the
USA also honored the men who fought for the Confederacy. The burial site
for Dixie's soldiers is located at (section 16).
A beautiful
Confederate monument at Arlington cemetery towers 32.5 feet and has an
inscription that reads, “A Obedience To Duty As They Understood It;
These Men Suffered All; Sacrificed All and Died!"
Some people
claim the Confederate monument at Arlington may have been the first to
honor Black Confederates. Carved on this monument is the depiction of a
Black Confederate who is marching with the white soldiers. In 1898,
President William McKinley, a former Union soldier, spoke in Atlanta,
Georgia and said, "In the spirit of Fraternity it was time for the North
to share in the care of the graves of former Confederate soldiers.”
In
consequence to his speech, by act of the United States Congress, a
portion of Arlington National Cemetery was set aside for the burial of
Confederate soldiers. At this time 267 Confederate remains from and near
Washington, D.C. were removed and re-interred at this new site at
Arlington.
In 1906, The United Daughters of the Confederacy asked
for permission from William Howard Taft to erect a Confederate
monument. Taft was at the time serving as the United States Secretary of
War and was in charge of National Cemeteries.
With permission
the Arlington Confederate Memorial Association was formed and the ladies
of the UDC were given authority to oversee work on the monument.
An
agreement and contract was made with Sir Moses J. Ezekiel who was a
Jewish Confederate Veteran by the record of his service at the Battle of
New Market while he was a cadet at Virginia Military Institute. Work
started at his workshop in Italy in 1910, and upon his death in 1917,
the Great Sculptor, was brought back home and buried near the base of
the Arlington Confederate Monument.
The year was 1914, and the
Arlington monument was unveiled to a crowd of thousands that included
former Union and Confederate soldiers.
This memorial event was
presided over by President Woodrow Wilson and the people applauded the
stirring speeches given by: General Bennett H. Young---Commander In
Chief of the United Confederate Veterans, General Washington
Gardner---Commander In Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, Colonel
Robert E. Lee---grandson of General Robert E. Lee and Mrs. Daisy
McLaurin Stevens President General of the United Daughters of the
Confederacy.
The Arlington Confederate Monument unveiling was
concluded by a 21 gun salute and the monument was officially given to
the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the UDC gave it back to the
United States War Department for keeping and was accepted by President
Woodrow Wilson who said:
"I am not so happy as PROUD to participate in this capacity on such an occasion---proud that I represent such a people."
Since President Wilson wreathes have been sent to both sections of Arlington.
Let us never forget!
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