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diff --git a/old/50570-0.txt b/old/50570-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ffefebf..0000000 --- a/old/50570-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1841 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Custis-Lee Mansion, by Murray H. Nelligan - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Custis-Lee Mansion - The Robert E. Lee Memorial, Virginia - -Author: Murray H. Nelligan - -Release Date: November 29, 2015 [EBook #50570] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CUSTIS-LEE MANSION *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - [Illustration: U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR: March 3, 1849] - - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR - Stewart L. Udall, _Secretary_ - - NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - Conrad L. Wirth, _Director_ - - - _HISTORICAL HANDBOOK NUMBER SIX_ - -This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the -historical and archeological areas in the National Park System -administered by the National Park Service of the United States -Department of the Interior. It is printed by the Government Printing -Office and may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, -Washington 25, D. C. Price 25 cents. - - - - - CUSTIS-LEE MANSION - _The Robert E. Lee Memorial_ - VIRGINIA - - - _by Murray H. Nelligan_ - - [Illustration: Lee on Traveller] - - NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES No. 6 - WASHINGTON, D.C., 1950 (_REVISED 1962_) - - - - -_The National Park System, of which Custis-Lee Mansion is a unit, is -dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of -the United States for the benefit and enjoyment of its people._ - - [Illustration: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR] - - - - - _Contents_ - - - _Page_ - History of Arlington to 1861 1 - Arlington from 1861 to 1865 24 - Arlington from 1865 to the Present 26 - Guide to the House and Grounds 28 - Visitor Service and Facilities 46 - Administration 47 - Suggested Readings 48 - - [Illustration: _General Robert E. Lee in 1865._ From the original - photograph by Mathew Brady in the National Archives.] - - [Illustration: ] - -Ever since it was built more than a century ago, the Custis-Lee Mansion -has dominated the scene across the river from the National Capital. An -outstanding example of a Greek Revival building of the early nineteenth -century, its dignity and strength, simplicity and steady grace, now make -it a most appropriate national memorial to one of America’s greatest -men, Robert E. Lee. - -Built by his father-in-law, George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted -son of General Washington, the mansion was for many years a principal -repository of many objects associated with George Washington. As such, -it greatly influenced Robert E. Lee when the building was his home. Like -him, it experienced the vicissitudes of war and came to be associated -with his fame. Now it is maintained by the Nation in his honor, and in -the years to come will serve as a constant reminder of his nobility and -greatness. - -Many years have passed since General Lee lived in the home at Arlington. -But so real are the memories evoked by its historic atmosphere, it seems -little more than yesterday that he left it for the last time. A visit to -the Custis-Lee Mansion gives a deeper, more personal understanding of -the life and worth of the man to whose memory it is now dedicated. - - - - - _History of Arlington to 1861_ - - -ANCESTRY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON PARKE CUSTIS. George Washington Parke -Custis was born April 30, 1781. His mother was Eleanor (Calvert) Custis, -a granddaughter of the sixth Lord Baltimore; his father, John Parke -Custis, the only son of Martha Washington by her first marriage. John -Parke Custis grew to manhood at Mount Vernon, married Eleanor Calvert in -1774, and died of camp fever in 1781 while serving as aide to General -Washington at Yorktown. His death left four children fatherless, so the -two youngest, George Washington Parke Custis and his sister Eleanor, -were adopted by the Washingtons and taken to Mount Vernon to be raised -as their own. - - -HIS EARLY LIFE AT MOUNT VERNON. Only 6 months old when he was taken to -live at Mount Vernon, it was a remarkable experience for a boy as -sensitive and gifted as young Custis to grow up on terms of intimacy -with General Washington, whose affection the fatherless lad reciprocated -with the deepest love and respect. As far as public duties would allow, -the General supervised the training and education of the boy, who -acquired from him the interests and ideals which established the pattern -of his life. “It is really an enjoyment to be here to witness the -tranquil happiness that reigns throughout the house,” wrote a guest at -Mount Vernon in 1799, “except when now and then a little bustle is -occasioned by the young Squire Custis when he returns from hunting, -bringing in a ‘valiant deer’, as he terms it, that Grandpa and the -Colonel will devour: nice venison I assure you.” - - -GEORGE WASHINGTON PARKE CUSTIS MOVES TO ARLINGTON. Custis was 18 when -the General died in 1799. Mrs. Washington did not long survive her -husband, and when she died, early in 1802, Custis moved to “Mount -Washington,” as he first called the Arlington estate. This was a tract -of nearly 1,100 acres that Custis’ father had bought in 1778 with the -intention of establishing a family seat convenient to Mount Vernon, but -in 1802 the only tangible remains of his brief ownership were the -flourishing willows he had planted along the Potomac. - - -“ARLINGTON HOUSE” BEGUN. When Custis moved into a cottage built by the -former owners of the property, Arlington consisted mostly of woodland -and virgin oak forests, with a few cleared fields near the river. His -first concern was to get the fields under cultivation, using for the -purpose the mules and farm equipment he had purchased at the sales held -that year at Mount Vernon to settle the legacies of the several -Washington heirs. Equally urgent was the need to build a house worthy of -the furnishings and mementoes which he had inherited or bought at the -Mount Vernon sales, some of which were deteriorating badly in their -temporary quarters. To this end, he seems to have obtained building -plans from George Hadfield, a gifted young architect, who had come from -England in 1795 to take charge of the construction of the Capitol. - -Influenced by the contemporary vogue for classical architecture, Custis -wanted his house to be in the new style, and the architect’s finished -design was a simplified Greek Doric portico balanced by extended wings, -the whole of such sturdiness as to show to advantage when viewed from -across the river. Since ornamentation would be lost at such a distance, -the architect largely dispensed with it, relying on good proportions to -give beauty to his creation. Rooms would be large and have high ceilings -and tall windows, and their severely plain walls would be perfect for -displaying the many portraits Custis possessed. Having the rooms open -into each other would give extensive vistas, framed by pleasing -semicircular arches. - - [Illustration: _Early view of Mount Vernon._] - - [Illustration: _George Washington Parke Custis._ From a miniature - made at Mount Vernon in 1799.] - -Though clay for bricks and choice timber were at hand on his estate, -Custis lacked the money necessary to build his house all at once. -Therefore he followed the common practice of building the wings first, -and the main section later. The north wing was built about 1803, and was -evidently intended to be one great banquet room. By 1804, the south wing -was completed, containing an office and a large room for entertaining. -In that year Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. To provide living -quarters for himself and his bride he had the north wing partitioned -into three small rooms. With a kitchen and laundry in the basement, the -young couple had the essentials of living at “Arlington House,” as -Custis named his new home, after the old family seat on the Eastern -Shore. At this point, work seems to have been stopped. A visitor -reported in 1811, “I was struck, on entering the grounds of Mr. Custis, -at Arlington, ... with several of the most picturesque views. This seat -is on a superb mount, and his buildings are begun in a stile of superior -taste and elegance.” - - -ARLINGTON AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. While building -his house, Custis inaugurated an annual fair designed to improve -agricultural practices in general, and particularly the breeding of -fine-wooled sheep. Beginning in 1803, Custis invited the local gentry -each spring to exhibit their best sheep and homespun cloth at Arlington -Spring, near the edge of the river. After prizes had been awarded, the -fair would close with patriotic speeches and a great dinner under the -tent which had been used by Washington during the Revolution. - - [Illustration: “ARLINGTON HOUSE,” AS IT APPEARED FROM ABOUT - 1804-1816] - -By breeding the native stock on his farms with the imported stock he had -acquired from Mount Vernon, Custis himself developed a hardy race of -fine-wooled sheep, known as the “Arlington Improved.” Because the wool -of this breed could be woven into finer cloth than hitherto possible, -the Arlington sheep were widely diffused throughout the country. Custis -also sought to correct the primitive agricultural methods which had -already caused much land in his State to be abandoned because of soil -erosion. He advocated the establishment of a National Board of -Agriculture with functions like those of the Department of Agriculture -today, and he offered one of his outlying properties for use as an -experimental breeding station. So popular was the Arlington -Sheepshearing, as it was commonly called, that the idea was quickly -adopted elsewhere. Though economic conditions forced Custis to -discontinue the event after 1812, it was one of the primary sources of -the great program of agricultural improvement in effect today. - - -BIRTH OF MARY ANNA RANDOLPH CUSTIS. Mary Anna Randolph Custis, born in -1808, was the only one of the four Custis children to survive the first -year of infancy. Upon her the parents centered their affections and -hopes. The mother’s natural piety and devotion to her family were -deepened by the loss of her other children, while the father’s warm and -generous nature was such that in later years she could not recall ever -having received an unkind word from him. - - -CUSTIS AND THE WAR OF 1812. During the War of 1812, the British blockade -of the Chesapeake deprived Custis of much of the income from his other -estates, so it is doubtful if any building was done at Arlington at this -time. Convinced that Napoleon threatened the liberties of mankind more -than England, Custis strongly opposed the war. For this reason he was -chosen to deliver the funeral oration for General Lingan, a veteran of -the Revolution who was murdered by the same Baltimore mob which almost -killed Robert E. Lee’s father, “Light-Horse Harry” Lee. Nevertheless, -Custis followed the example set by George Washington during the American -Revolution by forbidding the managers of his plantations to furnish -supplies to the British; and when British troops approached the National -Capital in 1814, Custis fought in the ranks at the battle of -Bladensburg. - - [Illustration: _Arlington Spring, scene of the famous - “Sheepshearings.”_] - - -“ARLINGTON HOUSE” COMPLETED. After the war, Custis resumed work on his -house, and the large center section and great portico were to have been -finished in 1817. “A house that any one might see with half an eye,” as -Robert E. Lee later described it, could not fail to attract attention, -and “Custis’ Folly” is first mentioned by a traveler in 1818. Although -the interior was never completed as planned and the rear was left -unstuccoed, “Arlington House” was soon considered one of the handsomest -residences about Washington. One early writer describes it as “a -noble-looking place, having a portico of stately white columns, which, -as the mansion stands high, with a back ground of dark woods, forms a -beautiful object in the landscape.” - - -THE MEMORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON KEPT ALIVE AT ARLINGTON. “Arlington -House” now became the successor of Mount Vernon as the “Washington -Treasury,” as Custis termed it. His collection of Washington relics was -the largest in existence, and it filled the halls and rooms of the -mansion. The owner of these relics welcomed all who wished to view them, -and he never tired of entertaining his guests with tales of his early -years at Mount Vernon. Many distinguished men visited Arlington at one -time or other—Sam Houston, Daniel Webster, and Andrew Jackson, to name a -few. One of the most notable was General Lafayette, who twice was a -guest there when he toured the United States in 1824 and 1825. Custis -spent much time with the venerable marquis, and used the wealth of -reminiscenses he gained from the old soldier to write the delightful -_Conversations With Lafayette_, which was published in a local newspaper -in 1825. Encouraged by their favorable reception, he then began his own -_Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington_, which proved equally -popular and were widely reprinted in the newspapers of the period. - -Even more successful were the dramas Custis wrote at this time, based on -heroic episodes in the Nation’s past or on inspiring contemporary -achievements. _The Indian Prophecy_ used an incident in Washington’s -early life as its theme and established a vogue for Indian plays which -lasted over 50 years; while the _Rail Road_ was the first one written on -that subject in America. Others dramatized such events as the battle of -Baltimore and the launching of a new warship. For 10 years his dramatic -pieces were staged from Boston to Charleston and did much to develop a -distinctive American drama. - - [Illustration: _An early view of “Arlington House.”_ From an - engraving made about 1845.] - -A man of culture, Custis used all of his abilities to perpetuate the -memory of Washington. He erected the first monument on the President’s -birthplace in 1816, wrote poems to celebrate his greatness, and painted -colorful battle pictures in which the great General was the central -figure. An accomplished orator, he was tireless in advocating the -principles of freedom for which Washington had fought, and planned to do -with his slaves as his foster father had done—free them after they had -been prepared to shift for themselves. Although he never held an -elective office, his influence was considerable and for the good. - - [Illustration: _The tents used by General Washington during the - American Revolution were cherished relics at Arlington._ From B. J. - Lossing, “Arlington House,” _Harper’s Monthly Magazine_, VII (Sept. - 1853), 444.] - - -HOME LIFE AT ARLINGTON. An equal source of inspiration at “Arlington -House” was the religious atmosphere of its home life. Mrs. Custis was a -devout Episcopalian, noted for her simplicity and piety. It was she who -influenced Robert E. Lee’s Sunday school teacher, Bishop William Meade, -to enter the ministry. Diligent where her husband was inclined to be -easy-going, Mrs. Custis was one with him in making Arlington free from -ostentation. - -Kept unspoiled by her parents’ example, Mary Custis was given the -education deemed necessary for a young lady of her position, and as soon -as she was old enough herself taught the children of nearby families and -family servants. Though an only child, she never lacked companionship, -for usually the house overflowed with relatives and their children. The -Custises, too, often went visiting, especially to “Ravensworth,” -formerly the home of Mrs. Custis’ father and now owned by her only -brother. Here Mary must have played as a child with Robert E. Lee, for -he and his mother were also related to the Fitzhughs and often visited -at their estate. The Lees were familiar with Arlington as well, for -Robert was a favorite with the Custises from boyhood. He and Mary Custis -are said to have planted some of the trees in the vicinity of the house -when they were young. - - [Illustration: _Title page of the 1830 edition of Curtis’ most - popular play._] - - - - - POCAHONTAS! - OR, - THE SETTLERS OF VIRGINIA, - - - A NATIONAL DRAMA, - IN THREE ACTS. - - - Performed at the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, twelve nights, - with great success. - - - WRITTEN BY - GEORGE WASHINGTON CUSTIS, ESQ. - Of Arlington House. Author of the Rail Road, Pawnee Chief, &c. &c. - - - PHILADELPHIA EDITION. - © ALEXANDER, PR. - ::::::: - 1830. - - -MARRIAGE OF MARY CUSTIS AND ROBERT E. LEE. Childhood friendship turned -to love by the time Lee graduated from West Point and was assigned to -duty in the Corps of Engineers. Whenever possible he was at Arlington -courting Mary Custis, and in the summer of 1830 they became engaged. - -The evening of the wedding, June 30, 1831, was one of steady rain, but -nothing could affect the warmth and happiness inside the friendly -portals of Arlington. The ceremony was formal and elaborate as befitted -the union of two of the most prominent families of Virginia. The happy -couple, surrounded by pretty bridesmaids and uniformed groomsmen, made a -picturesque scene. - - [Illustration: _George Washington Parke Custis._ Engraved from the - portrait by Gilbert Stuart made about 1825.] - - -THE LEES AT FORT MONROE, 1831 TO 1834. Wedding trips not being customary -at that time, the young married couple stayed at Arlington until it was -time for them to go to Fort Monroe where Lee was stationed. At Christmas -they returned home, and, because of the bad weather, Mrs. Lee remained -there till spring. Furniture and choice provisions from the Custis farms -helped to make the Lee’s quarters at the fort more homelike, while Mrs. -Custis’ frequent letters lessened her daughter’s homesickness, as did -the whimsical, chatty ones her father wrote regularly to his “Dr Son & -Daughter.” In September of 1832, their first child was born there, a son -named George Washington Custis Lee, after his grandfather. Christmas -that year at Arlington was especially happy because of the new baby -(known familiarly as “Custis” Lee), and because Lee was unexpectedly -able to be there. The following year passed much the same way. - - [Illustration: _Lieutenant and Mrs. Robert E. Lee in 1838._ From the - portraits by William E. West. U. S. Army Signal Corps photographs.] - - -LEE ON DUTY AT WASHINGTON, 1834 TO 1837. In the autumn of 1834, Lee was -transferred to Washington and with his family made his home at -Arlington. Sometimes his work kept him away overnight, but usually each -morning and afternoon he was to be seen riding between his office and -home. Lee disliked the office work which kept him in the city until the -middle of 1837, but life at Arlington was most pleasant. Mrs. Lee’s -parents idolized their little grandson, and for them Lee felt a growing -respect and affection. Custis was the nearest link to the first -President, and associating with him and living in the presence of so -many of the General’s personal belongings made Washington very close and -real to the young engineer, an example and influence that steadily -entered his soul. - -Lee fitted easily into the quiet way of life at Arlington. Mrs. Lee and -her mother cared little for formal social affairs, preferring to be out -of doors gardening or riding about the estate when not entertaining -visitors. Mr. Custis was usually busy with his farm, and since he liked -to hunt, he might often be seen walking or riding about the estate with -his gun and dogs; evenings he spent with his family by the hearth, or -retired to his study to work on his literary efforts. Each morning and -evening the family and servants gathered for prayers, and grace was said -before each meal. On Sundays the family usually drove into Alexandria to -church, or held services at home if the roads were bad. Mrs. Lee, like -her father, was an amateur artist, an interest shared by her husband who -also occasionally assisted Mr. Custis in his business affairs or put his -engineering experience to use in making improvements. - -Troubles there were, of course. Lee was away on a mission to Ohio and -Michigan when his second child, a daughter whom they named Mary, was -born in the summer of 1835. When he returned, he found his wife so -seriously ill that she was unable to walk for months. This was the first -of a series of illnesses which were to make her an invalid much of her -life. - -Though this experience saddened Lee at the time, it made his home the -more dear to him. It was about this time that he wrote to a friend: “The -Country looks very sweet now, and the hill at Arlington covered with -verdure, and perfumed by the blossoms of the trees, the flowers of the -Garden. Honey-Suckles, yellow Jasmine, &c. is more to my taste than at -any other season of the year. But the brightest flower there blooming is -my daughter.... [I] hurry home to her every day.” - - [Illustration: _View from Arlington about 1837._ From the original - lithograph in the New York Public Library.] - - -THE LEES AT ST. LOUIS, 1838 TO 1839. In 1837 another son was born, and -although Lee had received orders to report to St. Louis he was able to -remain at Arlington until he was assured the mother and baby were doing -well. Christmas he was home again, remaining there till spring so Mrs. -Lee and the two boys could return with him to St. Louis. Little Mary -stayed behind with her grandparents, which may have compensated them -somewhat for the absence of her parents the following Christmas. - -Now a captain, Lee brought his family home in the spring of 1839 for -Mrs. Lee to await the arrival of their fourth child, though he could not -remain for the event. Early in July, he heard a new daughter had joined -the family circle, but not until Christmas did he get to see her. - -An incident which probably occurred that winter illustrates the -seriousness with which Lee viewed his family responsibilities. He and -8-year-old Custis had gone for a walk one snowy day, the boy following -behind while his father broke the way. Preoccupied with ploughing -through the deep snow, the father failed to look behind for some time, -and when he did, saw that his little son was setting his feet carefully -in the tracks his father had made, while imitating his every movement. -“When I saw this,” Lee related afterwards, “I said to myself, ‘It -behooves me to walk very straight, when the little fellow is already -following in my tracks’.” - - -LEE AT FORT HAMILTON, N. Y., 1841 TO 1846. Lee did not return to St. -Louis until the summer of 1840, and then only to finish up his work and -return home. There his fifth child, a girl, was born the following -February. Soon after, Lee was sent to Fort Hamilton, N. Y., where he -remained on duty until 1846. During these years it was customary for his -family to be with him at New York during the summer and fall months and -at Arlington the rest of the year, where Lee usually passed the winter. -Two more children, a boy and a girl, were born in these years. Telling a -friend about the arrival of the boy, Lee wrote: “About a month ago a -young Robert E. Lee made his appearance at Arlington, much to the -surprise and admiration of his brothers and sisters. He has a fine long -nose like his father, but no whiskers.” - - -WAR WITH MEXICO, 1846 TO 1848. Because war with Mexico seemed imminent -when Lee went back to Fort Hamilton in the spring of 1846, Mrs. Lee and -the children remained at Arlington. Hostilities began in May, and in -August Lee was ordered to report for service in Mexico. Returning home, -he spent a few days at Arlington arranging his affairs, then said -goodbye to his family. Twenty-two months passed before he saw it again, -months of anxiety for those waiting at home, relieved only by his long -and frequent letters, such as the one he wrote to his two eldest sons -the day before Christmas, 1846: “I hope good Santa Claus will fill my -Rob’s stocking to-night: that Mildred’s, Agnes’s, and Anna’s may break -down with good things. I do not know what he may have for you and Mary, -but if he only leaves for you one half of what I wish, you will want for -nothing!” - -The war ended early in 1848, and seeing many of the returning volunteers -enjoy Mr. Custis’ hospitality at Arlington Spring must have made the -Lees more impatient for the return of their own hero. When Lee finally -arrived in Washington he missed the carriage sent for him, and so -procured a horse to ride home. None of those anxiously watching for a -glimpse of the carriage noticed the lone horseman ascending the hill, -and not till “Spec,” Lee’s dog, rushed out joyfully barking did they -realize their soldier was home. Great was the excitement as he greeted -them in the hall, and his mistaking a friend’s little boy for his own -added to the hilarity. “Here I am again, my dear Smith,” Lee wrote to -his brother the next day, “perfectly surrounded by Mary and her precious -children, who seem to devote themselves to staring at the furrows in my -face and the white hairs in my head.... I find them too much grown, and -all well, and I have much cause for thankfulness and gratitude to that -good God who has once more united us.” - - [Illustration: _Robert E. Lee in civilian dress, about 1850._] - - -THE LEES AT ARLINGTON, 1848 TO 1849. The summer of 1848 was a happy one -at Arlington, for Lee was on duty in Washington and was promoted to -brevet colonel, so that hereafter he would be titled “Colonel Lee.” -Toward the end of the year he was assigned to supervise the construction -of a new fort in Baltimore, but soon after officially taking over the -project, he returned to Arlington. This was the winter that a guest at -Arlington observed Lee’s face in quiet repose as he read to his family -assembled about the table one night, and thought to herself: “You -certainly look more like a great man than any one I have ever seen.” - -Mrs. Lee and her mother made an equally favorable impression on a lady -who visited Arlington the next spring. “We had tea in the Washington -teacups, and Mrs. Lee took me into the tangled neglected gardens, full -of rose-buds, and allowed me to pick my fill of the sweet dainty Bon -Silene variety, which she told me blossomed all winter. What a view that -was!... Mrs. Lee had the face of a genius: a wealth of dark hair, -carelessly put up, gave her fine head the air of one of Romney’s -portraits. She was most lovely and sympathetic. Her mother, Mrs. Custis, -was a woman full of character.” - - -THE LEES AT BALTIMORE, 1849 TO 1852. Lee was home for a short time -during the summer of 1849 to recuperate from a touch of fever, and in -the autumn his family joined him at Baltimore. There they lived through -1851, coming home for Christmas and occasional visits. Seldom was the -family together, however, for their eldest son, Custis, entered West -Point in 1850, and usually some of the children were at Arlington with -their grandparents. - -Mrs. Custis kept the absent ones informed as to what was going on at -Arlington. “Your Grandfather is seized with a spirit of improvement -lately,” she wrote to the lad at West Point in 1851. “He is making new -steps to the Portico (the old ones having so decayed as to be unsafe) -and intends paving it with octagon brick tiles which are now being -burned in the vast brick kilns in Washington.” Later, she reported that -the steps were finished and the portico floor about to be laid. - -Though 70 and often unwell, Mr. Custis’ activity seldom flagged. A -polished and effective speaker, with a gift for being able to enter into -the spirit of an occasion, he was well-liked for his personal charm and -unassuming manner. He was fond of children, and a great favorite with -the young Lees. Conscious of his advancing years, Custis increased the -output of his _Recollections of Washington_, that his personal knowledge -of the General might not be lost. In this he was encouraged by the Lees, -who also approved his renewed interest in scientific agriculture. While -strongly advocating the establishment of a department of agriculture in -the National Government, Custis applied the latest methods of -fertilizing and cultivation to his own farms so that the land inherited -by his grandchildren would be fertile, rather than worn-out like that of -so much of his native State. - - [Illustration: _A view of “Arlington House” made in 1853 by the - historian-artist Benson J. Lossing._ From the original water color - in the Lee Mansion.] - -Christmas in 1851 was typical of the many happy ones celebrated at -Arlington, and, telling his son at West Point about it, Lee wrote: “[We] -found your grandfather at the Washington depot, Daniel and the old -carriage and horses, and young Daniel on the colt Mildred. Your mother, -grandfather, Mary Eliza, the little people, and the baggage, I thought -load enough for the carriage, so Rooney and I took our feet in our hands -and walked over.... The snow impeded the carriage as well as us, and we -reached here shortly after it. The children were delighted at getting -back, and passed the evening in devising pleasure for the morrow. They -were in upon us before day on Christmas morning, to overhaul their -stockings.... I need not describe to you our amusements, you have -witnessed them so often; nor the turkey, cold ham, plum-pudding, mince -pies, etc., at dinner.” “Rooney” was the Lee’s second boy, William Henry -Fitzhugh. - - [Illustration: _George Washington Parke Custis in his old age._ From - the photograph by Mathew Brady in the collection of Frederick H. - Meserve, New York.] - - -THE LEES AT WEST POINT, 1852 TO 1855; DEATH OF MRS. CUSTIS. Lee took -command of West Point in September 1852, where he was shortly joined by -his family. Mrs. Custis had been well when they left, so the telegram -which came in April telling of her critical illness was entirely -unexpected. Mrs. Lee started for home at once, but on arrival found her -beloved mother dead and her father prostrated by his loss. She at once -took charge of the household and herself conducted the morning worship -which had been forgotten in the sorrow and confusion. After breakfast -she selected a spot for her mother’s grave among the trees a short -distance from the house. For years, Lee had called Mrs. Custis “Mother,” -and his grief at her death was almost as great as Mrs. Lee’s. By now the -religious convictions instilled in him by his mother had been matured by -his own experiences and the example of those at Arlington, and soon -after his return from West Point at the end of the term, he and two of -his daughters were confirmed at Christ Church, Alexandria. - -Hoping to divert Mr. Custis, the Lees took him back with them to West -Point. But not even a trip to Niagara Falls with his son-in-law could -keep him from worrying about his beloved Arlington, and he soon returned -home. To ease his loneliness, the Lees came home on brief visits in the -spring and summer of 1854. - - -LEE IN TEXAS, 1855 TO 1857. Early in 1855, Lee was assigned to a cavalry -regiment being organized for service on the frontier. Before leaving for -his new station he made arrangements to have the large unfinished room -off the main hall, at Arlington, made into a drawing room and to have a -hot-air furnace installed to heat the house. The “Big Room,” as it was -called, when finished was very handsome with its marble mantelpieces and -crystal chandelier, and Mrs. Lee and the girls were proud of its -appearance when they showed it to Lee on his return for the holidays. - -Much of his leave was given over to straightening out the finances of -Mr. Custis’ other farms, for the old gentleman was now 75 and, though -active in improving his lands and crops, needed the assistance of his -son-in-law in managing his business affairs. Lee returned to Texas in -February 1856, and was unable to be home for Christmas that year. His -loneliness is apparent in the letter he wrote to Mrs. Lee: “The time is -approaching when I trust many of you will be assembled around the family -hearth at dear Arlington, to celebrate another Christmas. Though absent, -my heart will be in the midst of you, & I shall enjoy in imagination & -memory, all that is going on. May nothing occur to mar or cloud the -family fireside, & may each be able to look back with pride & pleasure -at their deeds of the past year, & with confidence & hope to that in -prospect. I can do nothing but hope & pray for you all.” - - -DEATH OF MR. CUSTIS. Life at Arlington and for the father far away in -Texas flowed on quietly during 1857. Although badly crippled by -rheumatism, Mrs. Lee was able to manage the household and spend much -time in her garden, while her father occupied himself as usual. But in -the fall a telegram came to Lee, telling him of Mr. Custis’ death on -October 10th. Letters from the family told him more of the sad event: -how Mr. Custis had been ill of pneumonia only 4 days, how he had -steadily failed, and how on the last day, after embracing his weeping -daughter and grandchildren and asking to be remembered to his -son-in-law, had passed away while his rector said the prayers for the -dying. His last wish had been to be buried by the side of his wife, and -to that spot his coffin had been borne by the family servants, followed -by the Lees and a host of relatives and friends. - - [Illustration: _Mrs. Robert E. Lee._ This engraving was probably - made from a photograph taken sometime after 1865.] - - -LEE BECOMES MASTER OF ARLINGTON. It was a saddened household to which -Lee returned as soon as he could, made more so because Mrs. Lee’s -illness had progressed to where she was almost incapable of getting -about the house. He found it necessary to take an extended leave in -order to take on the management of Mr. Custis’ properties and, as his -executor, to carry out the terms of his will. This provided that after -outstanding debts had been paid and legacies given each of the Lee -girls, the farms were to go to the boys, although Mrs. Lee would have -possession of Arlington until her death, after which it would pass to -Custis Lee. All the slaves were to be freed within 5 years. - -A large debt had to be paid off before anything else could be done, and -Lee applied himself to making the farms as productive as possible by -putting more land under cultivation and planting larger crops. For a -time, it seemed that it would be impossible for him ever to discharge -his obligations satisfactorily, but he could still hide his -discouragement from his children, as when in the autumn of 1858 he came -upon one of his daughters saying a tearful goodbye to a friend, and said -cheerfully to the weeping girls: “No tears at Arlington, no tears.” -Fortunately, by the summer of 1859 he could see some improvement in the -situation, although much remained to be done. - - -JOHN BROWN’S RAID AND THE IMPENDING CRISIS. One morning in October 1859, -a young lieutenant, J. E. B. Stuart, who had been a guest at Arlington -several times, came with orders for Lee to report at once to the -Secretary of War. There he learned of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry -and was directed to take command of the forces being sent to quell the -uprising. This was soon accomplished, and in a short while Lee was home -again. - -Affairs at Arlington were so encouraging that autumn, that Lee expected -soon to rejoin his regiment in Texas. Therefore, he arranged to have his -son, Custis, who was now in the Corps of Engineers, transferred to -Washington where he could supervise the estate. Unlike many army -officers, Lee had never been away long from his native State, and his -months of hard work at Arlington had given him a sympathetic -understanding of the problems faced by his kinsmen and fellow-planters -and reaffirmed his belief that his first loyalty was to Virginia. - -These were his views when he went to Texas in February 1860, and they -remained unchanged as the discord between the North and South grew more -intense. Uneasily, he observed the recklessness of the extremists on -both sides, hoping always that the Union he loved would be preserved. -Texas seceded in February 1861, and Lee, who had been ordered to report -to Washington, arrived home at Arlington a month later. “I met Col. -Robert E. Lee at Gen. Scott’s office,” one of his army friends wrote in -his diary, March 5th. “He feels badly at the prospect.” Probably all -that Lee could tell his old friend was that if Virginia seceded he must -follow her, and that all he could do was to await developments. - - -LEE RESIGNS FROM THE UNITED STATES ARMY. While Lee watched, helpless, -events moved rapidly. Fort Sumter was bombarded in April, and in a few -days Lee heard that his own beloved Virginia had seceded. Great as was -his pride in the Union, he did not believe that it should be preserved -by force; moreover, he felt his first allegiance was to his State. -Though his career be sacrificed and the lives and property of his -children endangered, he believed he must do his duty as he saw it. - -Arlington blazed with lights Friday night, April 19,1861, and was filled -with relations and friends anxiously discussing the recent events. -Finding it impossible to think about his problem amid the excitement, -Colonel Lee went outside and paced back and forth under the trees while -he pondered his future course. Still undecided, he returned to the house -and went up to his bedroom. Downstairs, Mrs. Lee and the others waited -anxiously. Overhead, they could hear Lee’s footsteps as he paced the -floor, stopping only when he knelt to pray. It was after midnight when -he finally arrived at a decision and sat down to write his resignation -from the United States Army. That done, he came down with it in his hand -to where his wife was waiting. “Well, Mary,” he said quietly, “the -question is settled. Here is my letter of resignation, and a letter I -have written to General Scott.” - - [Illustration: _“Arlington House” as it appeared a few years before - the Civil War._ From a sketch by Benson J. Lossing.] - - -THE LEES LEAVE ARLINGTON. Monday morning, Lee said goodbye to his family -and left for Richmond. Before him were the long, hard years of a bitter -war from which he would gain unfading glory. But never again would he be -sheltered by the friendly roof of his old home at Arlington, and only -once would he have a glimpse of it, and then from a passing train, -several years after the war. - - [Illustration: _A corner of the drawing room, 1956._] - - [Illustration: _General Robert E. Lee in 1862._ U. S. Army Signal - Corps photograph.] - -In view of the strategic location of Arlington, Lee urged his wife to go -to a place of safety, but no preparations had been made to leave when -word reached Mrs. Lee, early in May, that the Federal forces were soon -to move into Virginia. Then all was excitement as the family portraits -were taken from their frames and, with the plate and the most valuable -Washington relics, sent off for safekeeping. Curtains and carpets were -packed away in the attic, books and engravings put in closets, and the -china stored in boxes in the cellar. Most of the furniture had to be -left behind, but this Mrs. Lee trusted she could recover later. When -everything was in order, it was time to say farewell to the weeping -servants, and to leave her home for what was to be the last time. - - [Illustration: THE ARLINGTON ESTATE IN 1860 - March 1950 MEM LM 7000 - High-resolution Map] - - - LEGEND - 1. “Arlington House” - 2. Ice House - 3. Stable - 4. Outbuilding - 5. Grave of Mary Randolph - 6. Custis Graves - 7. Gravel Pit - 8. Slave Cabins - 9. Chapel - 10. Barn - 11. Overseer’s House - 12. Apple Orchard - 13. Arlington Spring - 14. Slave Cemetery - 15. Road to Long Bridge - - - - - _Arlington from 1861 to 1865_ - - -ARLINGTON OCCUPIED BY THE FEDERAL ARMY. Mrs. Lee had been gone only a -few days when the Federal Army crossed the river and occupied the -heights opposite the National Capital. Overnight, what had been a quiet -country estate was transformed into a vast military encampment. New -roads were cut through the woods and much of it felled to open fields of -fire for the earthen forts being built a short distance west of the -house. Guards were posted to protect the house, and when the commanding -general learned that many articles nevertheless were being stolen, he -sent the Washington relics, which had been stored in the cellar, to the -Patent Office for safekeeping, and then established his headquarters -inside the mansion. Inevitably, the estate suffered greatly, though -strong efforts were made to prevent wanton destruction, particularly of -the fine old trees. - - -LEE BECOMES THE HERO OF THE SOUTH. While Arlington was blighted by grim -war, its former master was engaged in mobilizing the defenses of his -native State. Before long he was military adviser to the President of -the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, and successively commander of the Army -of Northern Virginia and general in chief of all the Confederate armies. -The qualities developed by his years in the army and his home life were -the same that now made him the military champion of the South and its -greatest hero. His self-discipline rarely deserted him, and his deep -religious beliefs gave him a humility and simplicity sufficient to -withstand the greatest discouragements. Even though the odds were -against him, his splendid presence on the field of battle and his -kindliness and courtesy to all regardless of rank won him the devotion -of his officers and men, while his brilliant military leadership gave -hope and fighting spirit to the entire South. Always he was the knightly -Christian gentleman, humane and magnanimous whether in victory or -defeat. - - [Illustration: _East front of “Arlington House” in 1864._ From the - photograph by Brady in the National Archives.] - - [Illustration: _Robert E. Lee in the full dress of a Confederate - General._ From the original photograph made in 1863 by Minnis and - Cowell, Richmond. U. S. Army Signal Corps photograph.] - - -THE NATIONAL CEMETERY ESTABLISHED AT ARLINGTON, 1864. Early in 1862, the -army moved away from Arlington for service in the field, but the mansion -continued to be used as a headquarters. In 1864, the Government levied a -tax on the Arlington estate. Because Mrs. Lee was unable to appear -personally to pay the tax as stipulated, payment through her agent was -refused and the property sold at public auction. In June of that year -the first burials were made in 200 acres set aside as a national -cemetery. Work was begun at once to restore the former natural beauty of -the grounds, and by the end of the war almost all the scars caused by -its military occupation had been erased. Only the long rows of white -headboards gleaming among the trees and the desolate house now used only -for the cemetery office bespoke the bitter strife that had wrought such -a profound change at Arlington. - - - - - _Arlington from 1865 to the Present_ - - -LEE’S INFLUENCE HELPS TO RESTORE THE SOUTH AFTER THE WAR. The splendid -leadership which Lee had given his people during the war did not cease -at Appomattox. As president of Washington College (afterwards Washington -and Lee University), he devoted himself to restoring the South -culturally, economically, and politically. Magnanimous in peace as in -war, he urged his countrymen to forswear hatred and make the best of -their situation. By his advice and example he did much to bring about -the true restoration of the Union, not by force, but by the immeasurably -stronger bonds of reconciliation and a common loyalty. - -For a time General Lee hoped to regain possession of Arlington for his -wife, but he died in 1870 without having recovered it. Mrs. Lee died 3 -years later, and her son Custis then took legal action to obtain his -inheritance. In 1882, the case was finally decided in his favor by the -Supreme Court of the United States, but since thousands of soldiers had -been buried at Arlington, Custis Lee accepted the offer of the -Government to buy the property for $150,000. - - -ARLINGTON BECOMES FAMOUS AS THE FORMER HOME OF GENERAL LEE. Originally -“Arlington House” had been famous for its associations with George -Washington; but after the Civil War it became even more widely known as -the former home of General Lee. Though its rooms were empty, thousands -from all over the country came to see it each year because of the -universal admiration for its former master. It was in response to this -sentiment that Representative Louis C. Cramton, of Michigan, sponsored -the legislation passed by Congress in 1925 which authorized the -restoration of the mansion as a national memorial. - - -RESTORATION OF THE MANSION. The project of restoring and refurnishing -the mansion was begun by the War Department in 1928. Structural changes -made since 1861 were removed and the house refurnished as nearly as -possible as when occupied by the Lee and Custis families. The original -furnishings having long since been scattered or lost, few could be -returned to their old setting, but copies were made of furniture and -portraits known to have been at Arlington and pieces appropriate to the -period procured. By 1933, when the mansion was transferred to the -National Park Service of the Department of the Interior, the major -portion of the work had been finished. However, the work of restoring -the mansion to its original condition is a continuing process, as -structural changes based on historical research are made and more of the -original furnishings are identified and acquired. - - [Illustration: _Robert E. Lee in 1869 when President of Washington - College, Lexington, Va._ From the Brady photograph, U. S. Army - Signal Corps.] - - - - - _Guide to the House and Grounds_ - - -THE OLD ARLINGTON ESTATE. Arlington was but one of several estates -totaling more than 15,000 acres owned by George Washington Parke Custis, -father-in-law of General Lee. Since the former’s income was largely -derived from two large farms on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County, -Va., he kept Arlington mainly as a gentleman’s country estate after the -English fashion. The greater part of Arlington was taken up by “the -Park,” a virgin woodland of ancient oaks and beautiful groves of walnut, -chestnut, and elm trees, extending from the Georgetown and Alexandria -Road at the foot of the hill clear to the western edge of the estate. - -On the level land lying between the road and Potomac River was “the -Farm,” consisting of an orchard and several large cultivated fields and -pastures. Here was grown most of the grain and vegetables required by -the Arlington household and the large number of slaves, the surplus -being sold in the Washington markets. In the southeast corner of the -farm was the Arlington landing, where the barge which hauled produce to -market was kept, as well as the schooner _Lady of the Lake_, used to -carry goods to and from the distant farms. Here also docked the -steamboats _Arlington Belle_ and the _G. W. P. Custis_, which annually -ferried thousands from the city to the famed Arlington Spring, for half -a century a favorite picnic spot for Georgetown and Washington -residents. For their convenience the hospitable owner erected pavilions -for dining and dancing, requiring only that no liquor be used. Custis -considered himself primarily a farmer, and spent most of each day riding -or walking about the estate supervising the work being done. After he -died in 1857 and the management of the estate was taken over by Col. -Robert E. Lee, the area under cultivation was considerably enlarged. - -Arlington originally had been part of a tract of 6,000 acres granted in -1669 by Governor William Berkeley of Virginia to a ship’s captain, named -Robert Howsing, in payment for transporting settlers to the colony. -Howsing soon sold his grant to John Alexander, after whom Alexandria, -Va., is named, reportedly for six hogsheads of tobacco. The land -remained in the Alexander family until 1778, when John Parke Custis -bought 1,100 acres from Gerard Alexander with the intention of -establishing a family seat. He died, however, before he had done -anything with the property, whereupon it passed to his son, George -Washington Parke Custis, who developed it as described. - - -THE MANSION. For all its imposing appearance when seen at a distance, -the real size of the mansion is not apparent until seen close at hand. -The central part of the building is 2 stories high, 60 feet wide, and 40 -feet deep. One-story wings, each 40 feet long and 25 feet wide, extend -to the north and south, making the length of the entire building 140 -feet. In the rear are still lower wings for service and a conservatory. - - [Illustration: _“Arlington House” from a sketch made before 1861, - though not published until 1875._] - -Although the wings with their tall recessed windows and balustrade are -quite pleasing, the magnificent portico is the salient architectural -feature of the mansion, one of the earliest and best-known examples of -Greek Doric porticos in America. This extends 25 feet from the front of -the house and has 8 columns 23 feet high and somewhat over 5 feet thick -at the base. Early authorities differ as to whether the portico was -derived from the smaller, well-proportioned Greek temple at Athens known -as the Theseum, or the larger, more imposing temple of Neptune at -Paestum, Italy. There is no doubt, however, as to the effectiveness of -the architectural style chosen, for no other would have had the strength -and massiveness necessary to make the building impressive when viewed -from across the river. Yet for all its simplicity and solidity, the -proportions of the mansion are so refined as to make it an outstanding -example of Greek Classic Revival architecture of the early nineteenth -century. - -The building is of the most solid construction throughout. All the walls -and most of the foundations are of brick, as are the columns of the -portico. All of the brickwork exposed to the weather is protected by -hard stucco plaster scored with lines in imitation of cut stone. Joists, -studs, and rafters are of hewn timber and are neatly mortised together -or pinned with wooden pegs, scarcely any nails being used. Doors, -cornices, and other woodwork are of pine. The main roof is supported by -great barnlike trusses which span the entire width of the center section -and originally was covered with wooden shingles, now replaced by slate. -At one time the portico columns were painted to look like marble, but -later were made white for better contrast with the warm buff or ochre -color of the remainder of the house. Well constructed to begin with, the -deterioration inevitable in any old building was entirely corrected when -the War Department restored the building. Careful maintenance now -assures a long and useful future for the Custis-Lee Mansion. - - -THE CONSERVATORY. Because flowers were important in the life of the -Arlington household, it is most appropriate that present-day visitors -enter the mansion through the conservatory. Both Mrs. Lee and her -mother, Mrs. Custis, were devoted to their gardens and used flowers for -decorations throughout the house. Called the “conservatory,” or -“greenhouse,” and sometimes the “camellia house,” by those who lived -there, this was the room in which they grew their favorite flowers and -plants during the winter months or started young ones for transplanting -outdoors. The floor of the conservatory has been restored, but the -woodwork and most of the windows are original. - - [Illustration: _The conservatory._] - - -THE OFFICE AND STUDY. The management of a large estate like Arlington -required an office where business could be transacted and records kept, -and this long, narrow room was used as such by both Mr. Custis and -Colonel Lee. Here the former worked on his literary efforts and carried -on an extensive correspondence concerning agricultural matters and the -life of General Washington. In his old age Mr. Custis also used it as -his “painting room,” for in 1852 he wrote to a fellow artist: “I have an -excellent studio fitted up in the South wing of the House, with a first -rate light, ... a stove & everything comfortable.” - - [Illustration: MEASURED DRAWINGS OF THE MANSION] - - [Illustration: _The office and study._] - -The desk in the corner was used by Lee during the years 1848 to 1852, -while supervising the construction of Fort Carroll, near Baltimore, Md. -Also of interest is his traveling chess set and the plain pine stand -which Mrs. Lee gave to her personal maid, Selina Gray, whose descendants -returned it to the house. - - -THE DINING ROOM. “The House will be a very showy handsome building when -completed,” wrote a lady visiting Arlington in 1804. “The room we were -in was 24 feet square & 18 feet high,” she continued. No doubt she was -describing the present dining room, for here the Custises entertained -their numerous guests before the large central section of the house was -built. Later, Mr. Custis used it as a studio, and after his wife’s -death, in 1853, it became Mrs. Lee’s “morning room,” where she answered -her mail and managed the affairs of her household. Here Mrs. Lee was -engaged in copying a portrait of her infant grandson when, in May 1861, -she was informed that the Federal Army was soon to occupy Arlington and -that she must leave at once. - -The dining room has been restored to its earliest use. Most of the -woodwork and windows are original, while the molding, plaster, and the -beautiful door to the study are entirely so. An interesting -architectural feature is the great semicircular arch at the north end of -the room, reminiscent of the villas Architect George Hadfield saw in -Italy during the years he studied there. - - -THE DRAWING ROOM. The drawing room remained unfinished for many years, -not even being plastered, probably because Mr. Custis lacked the -necessary funds. During these years it was known as the “big room” and -in it were stored old furniture and the finished canvasses of Mr. -Custis. On rainy days the Lee children often used it as a playroom. When -Colonel Lee went to Texas, in 1855, he left instructions for its -“renovation”—plastering the walls, installing a crystal chandelier, and -painting the walls and woodwork. He also ordered marble mantels for the -fireplaces. Mrs. Lee supervised the progress of the work in her -husband’s absence, and the result must have been most pleasing, for a -young lady who saw it in 1856 describes it as “a beautiful & noble -drawing room, very handsomely furnished and hung too with paintings.” - - [Illustration: _The dining room._] - -The most valuable paintings were taken away by Mrs. Lee in 1861, but -copies have been made for the restoration of this room. The sofa is -original, as is the music cabinet near the piano. The woodwork and walls -are finished off as Colonel Lee had them done in 1855. - - -THE HALL. A long hall extending from the front to the back was a common -feature of Virginia houses of the period, because of the cooling draft -of air it provided during hot weather. For this reason it was usually -furnished with sofas and chairs and used as a summer parlor. The Lees -and Custises would sit and converse here on warm summer evenings, or -perhaps read the latest English novel aloud to each other. “The puss has -appropriated the sofa in the parlor to himself, while I occupy that in -the hall,” Mr. Custis observed humorously in a letter to his wife in -1831. - -Characteristic of the Greek temples from which the mansion was adapted -are the tall narrow doors at each end of the hall. The graceful round -arches at the west end are typical of George Hadfield’s architectural -work. High on the walls at this end are the spirited hunting frescoes -painted by Mr. Custis himself. Elk and deer horns represent the -collection of antlers begun by him when a lad at Mount Vernon. Suspended -from the ceiling in the middle of the hall is a replica of the famous -Mount Vernon lantern, the original of which hung here for more than 50 -years. On the walls are copies of portraits once at Arlington, including -one of George Washington painted by Mr. Custis. - - [Illustration: _The drawing room._] - - -THE FAMILY PARLOR. From an early date three arches have divided the -large room north of the hall into a family parlor and a small dining -room. Originally, there were doors and a fanlight in the center arch, -while those on the outside were filled in with lath and plaster, -probably to make the rooms easier to heat. The twin Carrara marble -mantels are original, and are said to have been ordered by Mr. Custis -from Italy. - -The family parlor was the favorite gathering place of the Lees and -Custises, who entertained most of their guests in it even after the -drawing room was completed. Here the family passed the winter evenings -reading or listening to Mr. Custis’ interesting stories of his boyhood -at Mount Vernon. Each Christmas it was the family custom to kindle the -great yule log in the fireplace with the remains of that from the -previous year. The wedding of Mary Custis and Robert E. Lee took place -in this room. - - [Illustration: _The family parlor._] - - -THE FAMILY DINING ROOM. Small and informal, the family dining room was -used as such from the time the center section of the house was built -until the Lees departed in 1861. Arlington was noted for its -hospitality, and seldom was there a meal at which some guests were not -present. When he was at home, it was Colonel Lee’s custom to gather -rosebuds in the garden each morning and place one beside the plate of -each of his daughters, the youngest getting the smallest bud, and so on -up to the eldest. - -Over the mantel hangs a portrait of Mr. Custis, copied from the original -in the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. On the mantel is a -statuette, “The Three Graces,” said to have been imported from Italy by -Mr. Custis about 1855. Among the dishes in the cupboard are two custard -cups, a Wedgewood cream pitcher, and several other pieces which were -originally at Arlington. - - -THE UPPER HALL. The simple staircase which ascends to the upper hall is -typical of those in houses of classic revival style of architecture, -since their temple prototypes had no second floor and hence no stairs. -That the one in the mansion was carefully planned by the architect, -however, is shown by the ingenious way in which one window serves to -light the stair landing and the closet off it, as well as the hall -below. - -Like the one below, the upper hall was originally furnished with several -long sofas for use as a sitting room during warm weather. At such times -the lower part of the great window at the west end was opened wide in -order to increase the movement of air. - - [Illustration: _The family dining room as seen from the family - parlor._] - - [Illustration: _The family dining room._] - - -THE LEE BEDROOM. This pleasant room was occupied by Mrs. Lee before and -after her marriage. According to tradition, six of her seven children -were born in the small dressing room on its west side. Mrs. Lee’s toilet -and serving case, resembling a miniature lectern and bearing her -initials “M. C. L.,” sits on the bureau next to the door of the dressing -room. On the mantel is an engraving of Mrs. Lee made at Arlington in -1858. This is believed to be the room in which Colonel Lee arrived at -his decision to resign his commission in the United States Army. - - -THE BOYS’ BEDROOM. This bedroom was occupied by the three Lee -sons—Custis, Robert, and William Henry Fitzhugh, otherwise known as -“Rooney.” The floor, mantel, woodwork, and plaster cornice in this room -are original. The mahogany washstand was at Arlington prior to 1861. - - [Illustration: _The main staircase._] - - [Illustration: _The bedroom of Colonel and Mrs. Lee._] - -Next to the boys’ room is a small chamber originally divided by a -partition into dressing rooms for the adjoining bedrooms. In 1857, Mrs. -Lee had the partition removed and a doorway made into the hall in order -to provide more space for guests. Since the room was too small for a -bed, a cot was set up whenever additional sleeping quarters were needed. -The washstand and the Duncan Phyfe side chair are original Arlington -pieces. - - -ROOM OF MARY LEE AND “MARKIE.” Mary Lee, eldest of the Lee daughters, -occupied this room from her earliest days. Occasionally, she shared it -with one of her sisters, but more often with Martha Williams, known -affectionately as “Markie,” a cousin of both Colonel and Mrs. Lee. -Markie’s mother died in 1843, and her father was killed 3 years later -during the war with Mexico. Although Markie lived with her grandparents -in Georgetown, she was at Arlington so much of the time as to be almost -a member of the household, leading another guest to observe, in 1856, -that “Markie’s room commands a beautiful view of the river & of -Washington.” Markie and her father were both talented artists and -several of their paintings embellished the house. - - [Illustration: _Miss Mary Lee’s room._] - - -THE LEE GIRLS’ BEDROOM. This large, sunny bedroom was occupied by Agnes, -Annie, and Mildred Lee. Although it is not one of the original Arlington -furnishings, the miniature mahogany bureau on the table against the west -wall is noteworthy as having been owned by Anne Hill Carter Lee, mother -of Robert E. Lee. - - -THE PLAYROOM. The small room next to the girls’ bedroom served various -purposes. When the girls were young it was their playroom. Later it was -probably a dressing room, as indicated by the original shelves and coat -pegs. It was also used by Annie Lee for the Sunday school she conducted -for the children of the family servants. According to tradition, the -miniature secretary at the back of the room was a childhood possession -of Mr. Custis’ sister, Nellie, who gave it to Mrs. Lee when she was -little. Later it was given by Lee to his goddaughter, Nannie Randolph -Heth. - - [Illustration: _The playroom._] - - [Illustration: _Custis bedroom._] - - -THE OUTER HALL. Visitors return to the first floor by the steep service -stairway, intended primarily for the convenience of members of the -family and servants. Like the second floor hall, the stairwell is -painted as it was originally—a light peach. Beyond is the outer hall, -originally the serving pantry for the nearby dining room. Here in its -old location stands the walnut cupboard to which each night at bedtime -Colonel Lee is said to have come for a glass of milk, brought there from -the dairy room under the south wing. - - -THE CUSTIS ROOMS. An inner hall gave private access to the two small -rooms in the north wing occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Custis in the years -before the main part of the house was completed. Later they were -probably used for guest rooms until such time as the size of the Lee -family and the Custises’ advancing years made it advisable for them to -reoccupy their old suite. In the larger room is the bed Custis bought -about 1805; in the smaller room, under the window, is a small mahogany -candle stand once owned by Martha Washington and later part of the -Arlington furnishings. - -The wooden mantelpiece in the sitting room is the oldest one in the -house, and its disproportionate size indicates that it was made for the -large unused chimney breast in the inner hall. - - [Illustration: _The wooden mantelpiece in the Custis bedroom is the - oldest in the house, dating from its earliest years._] - - -THE SCHOOLROOM. This may have been Mrs. Lee’s bedroom when she was a -little girl and her parents occupied the adjoining rooms. After the main -part of the house was built, it was used as a sewing room and a -schoolroom for the Lee children and those of the house servants. The old -terrestrial globe is one of the most interesting original objects in the -mansion, having been found tucked away in the attic under the eaves by -workmen repairing the roof some years ago. The small pine table on which -it stands is also an original piece. Over the globe is a framed -photograph of Comdr. Sidney Smith Lee, brother of Robert E. Lee. The -walls and woodwork, like those of most of the rooms, have been restored -to their original color. - - [Illustration: _The schoolroom._] - - [Illustration: _The winter kitchen._] - - -THE WINTER KITCHEN. The huge fireplace in the winter kitchen under the -north wing helped to warm the rooms above during the cold months of the -year. The portion of the room beyond the chimney was used as a laundry. - - -THE WINE CELLAR. A quarterly return from one of Mr. Custis’ estates, -dated 1822, lists “2 hogsheads of cider, 2 barrels of A[pple] Brandy” as -having been sent to Arlington. It was probably stored in this cool, dark -room, together with the scuppernong wine made from grapes grown along -the edge of the garden north of the mansion. Here also were kept the -choicer vintages used for entertaining. - - -THE SERVANTS’ QUARTERS. Two low buildings which harmonize -architecturally with the main house form two sides of the court in the -rear of the mansion. That on the north had a summer kitchen in the -basement, its other rooms being occupied by the family servants. Perhaps -because dampness made it unhealthy, the basement was filled in some -years before 1861, but it is now restored to its original condition. The -well between this building and the house is original, though the stone -coping and roof are a restoration. - - [Illustration: _The north servants’ quarters and the well._] - -The corresponding building to the south was familiarly known as -“Selina’s House,” because its western end was occupied by Mrs. Lee’s -personal maid, Selina Gray, and her family. The middle room was the -smokehouse, and on the east end was the storeroom where nonperishable -household provisions were kept. The small panels over the doors were -originally painted by Mr. Custis, the one in the center depicting -General Washington’s war horse and the others, American eagles. Old -photographs show similar panels decorating the north quarters, but these -have long since weathered away. - - [Illustration: _The Custis-Lee Mansion as seen from the west._] - - -THE GARDENS. The flower garden originally occupied the large level plot -south of the mansion. Gravel paths divided the area into flower beds, -and in the center stood a wooden arbor almost covered with yellow -jasmine and honeysuckle. Mr. Custis had laid out the garden in his early -years, but the responsibility for its care was soon assumed by Mrs. -Custis, who loved flowers. Mrs. Lee acquired her mother’s interest in -gardening and had her own flower beds, while each of her daughters, as -soon as they were old enough, were given small plots in which to grow -their favorite blooms. Roses of different species predominated, the -Cherokee being a favorite of Mrs. Custis’, but there were also many -other kinds of flowers and plants. It was the family custom to exchange -seeds and plants with friends and relatives, thus adding to the variety -of lovely blooms at Arlington. - -North of the mansion, on the site of the present rose garden, was the -“kitchen garden” where the vegetables used by the household were grown. -Here were strawberry and asparagus beds, tomato vines and many other -vegetables, as well as a number of fruit trees. The gardens were very -important to the Lees, and in June of 1860 Robert E. Lee wrote to his -daughter Annie, saying, “I was very glad to receive, my Sweet Annie, -your letter ... to hear that the garden, trees, and hill at Arlington -looked beautiful....” The building at the north end is not an original -structure, though it stands on the site of an earlier outbuilding. - - -THE GRAVE OF MARY RANDOLPH. The grave of Mary Randolph, believed to have -been Mrs. Lee’s godmother, is a short distance from the northeast corner -of the mansion, down the Custis walk which here approximates the course -of the old carriage driveway. Mrs. Randolph was related to both the -Custises and the Lees and was well known in the early part of the -nineteenth century as the author of an extremely popular cookbook, _The -Virginia Housewife_. She and her husband, David Meade Randolph, were -often at Arlington, the latter being the inventor of a special -waterproof stucco used on part of the exterior of the mansion. Mrs. -Randolph died in 1828 and was the first person buried at Arlington. The -ivy growing on the brick enclosure about her tomb is said to have been -planted by Mr. and Mrs. Custis. - - -THE CUSTIS GRAVES. A few hundred yards southwest of the mansion, -Doubleday Walk passes a small plot enclosed by an iron fence. Here -beneath the beautiful trees in the spot selected by Mrs. Lee are the -graves of her mother and father. Colonel Lee ordered the marble -monuments from New York, specifying that a wreath of lilies of the -valley and heartsease should be carved on the one for Mrs. Custis’ -grave. He also supervised their erection. - - - - - _Visitor Service and Facilities_ - - -The mansion is located in Arlington National Cemetery and is reached by -way of Arlington Memorial Bridge. Bus service is available via Arlington -Memorial Bridge to the main gate of the cemetery. Automobiles use the -same approach and may be parked near the mansion. Visiting hours, -October through March, are from 9:30 a. m. to 4:30 p. m.; April through -September, 9:30 a. m. to 6 p. m. There is a small admission charge, -which is waived for children and educational groups. - - - - - _Administration_ - - -Custis-Lee Mansion National Memorial is administered by the National -Capital Parks of the National Park Service, United States Department of -the Interior. Other national memorials administered by the National -Capital Parks are: The Lincoln Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, -the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Museum, and the House Where Lincoln -Died. Communications should be addressed to the Superintendent, National -Capital Parks, Interior Building, Washington 25, D. C. - - - - - _Suggested Readings_ - - - Alexander, E. P. _Military Memoirs of a Confederate._ Charles - Scribner’s Sons, New York, N. Y. 1907. - - Custis, George Washington Parke. _The Recollections and Private - Memoirs of Washington._ Derby and Jackson, New York, N. Y. 1860. - - Craven, Avery (Ed.). _To Markie: The Letters of Robert E. Lee to - Martha Custis._ Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1934. - - Fishwick, Marshall. _General Lee’s Photographer._ University of North - Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N. C. 1954. - - Freeman, Douglas Southall. _R. E. Lee: A Biography._ 4 Vols. - Scribner’s Sons, New York, N. Y. - - Jones, J. W. _Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Robert - E. Lee._ D. Appleton & Co., New York, N. Y. 1875. - - Lee, Capt. Robert E. _Recollections and Letters of Gen. Robert E. - Lee._ Garden City Publishing Co., New York, N. Y. 1924. - - Lowther, Minnie Kendall. _Mount Vernon—Its Children, Its Romances, Its - Allied Families and Mansions._ John C. Winston Co., Philadelphia, Pa. - 1932. - - MacDonald, Rose Mortimer. _Mrs. Robert E. Lee._ Ginn & Co., New York, - N. Y. - - Tobert, Allice Coyle. _Eleanor Calvert and Her Circle._ - William-Frederick Press, New York, N. Y. 1950. - - - - - NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES - - -(Price lists of National Park Service publications may be obtained from - the Superintendent of Documents, - Washington 25, D.C.) - - - Antietam - Bandelier - Chalmette - Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefields - Custer Battlefield - Custis-Lee Mansion, the Robert E. Lee Memorial - Fort Laramie - Fort McHenry - Fort Necessity - Fort Pulaski - Fort Raleigh - Fort Sumter - George Washington Birthplace - Gettysburg - Guilford Courthouse - Hopewell Village - Independence - Jamestown, Virginia - Kings Mountain - The Lincoln Museum and the House Where Lincoln Died - Manassas (Bull Run) - Montezuma Castle - Morristown, a Military Capital of the Revolution - Ocmulgee - Petersburg Battlefields - Saratoga - Scotts Bluff - Shiloh - Statue of Liberty - Vanderbilt Mansion - Vicksburg - Yorktown - - - [Illustration: Sketch of Robert E. Lee] - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - -—Silently corrected a few typos. - -—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook - is public-domain in the country of publication. - -—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Custis-Lee Mansion, by Murray H. 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